Book 2: Breaking the Ice
by Sweethalo90
Summary: I've proofread my fanfic. and fixed some stuff! I even did some changes on it, but Celine is still in it. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Book 2: Breaking the Ice

"Jenna! Alex hit me!" a girl screamed. A light brown she-weasel ran over to a kid with a pout on his face. Jenna was babysitting for a family of beavers today.

She asked calmly to Alex, "Alex? Did you hit your sister?"

Alex pouted and yelled, "She got the last blueberry from the bush."

"Did she?" Jenna asked with a smirk on her face.

She brought her right hand from behind her back and presented the beaver with another blueberry in her hand. Alex jumped up and down and yelled happily, "Yay! I got the last blueberry! Thanks, Jenna. You're the best!"

Jenna grinned at him and said, "You're welcome. Now, go on and play, and stay away from that patch of thin ice in the middle of the lake!" The beaver nodded and ran off to play with his sister.

Jenna loved children a lot, which is why she decided to be a babysitter. Suddenly, another little beaver poked Jenna's side and asked her in a cute voice, "Can you help me find my big brother? We're playing hide-and-seek."

Jenna giggled and said, "Sure. I'll help you." They looked behind trees and bushes until they saw a flat tail sticking out from behind a stone. Jenna shushed the little beaver as she quietly giggled. She snuck behind the stone and lifted the girl on top of the stone. Jenna whispered, "Now!"

"Found you, bubba!" the little she-beaver yelled, causing her big brother to jump and Jenna to pop up from behind the rock and laugh.

Then, the boy laughed, "You sure did. Now it's your turn to hide." Before the little girl went to hide, she whispered a thank you to Jenna. She giggled and sat down on a stone and watched the beaver children play.

After hours of playtime, Jenna put the four young beavers to bed and waited for their parents to get home. Finally, the beavers' parents were home and the mom said in a low tone, "Thanks for watching them today, Jenna."

"No problem." She said quietly, being careful not to wake the kids. The dad nodded and told Jenna goodnight as she walked back to her cave.

When she finally got home, she dipped her feet into a nearby puddle and sighed through her nose, enjoying the coolness of the water. She always wondered if her parents were proud of her. Jenna's mom died from a saber attack and her father died of grief when he found out when she was fifteen. She always tried not to think about their death, but it always got to her.

Her baby blue eyes looked up at the night sky and she said, "Goodnight, mom. Goodnight, dad." The adult she-weasel went inside her cave and slept on her stone bed.

Meanwhile, down in Dinotopia, Rosalina and Roxanne came back after making their outfits out of the flowers in the Jungle of Misery. Rosalina wearing a blue flower dress with a small blue flower in her hair, and Roxanne with an orange top and skirt and a purple flower in her hair. They were giggling about something until they saw Buck on his knees, looking at his pineapple wife, and a tear rolling down his cheek.

Rosalina patted her sister's arm, signaling her to wait right where they were. "Buck?" She said as she walked toward him.

He looked at her and sighed, "She's gone. My wife."

Rosalina gasped softly and hugged him around his shoulders and she said softly, "I'm sorry, Buck. I know she meant so much to you."

Rosalina signaled Roxanne to come here. Roxanne looked at the spoiled fruit in front of her and said, "Hey. Maybe we can make a grave for her and give her our respects." Buck and Rosalina nodded and started digging through the dirt.

After they buried the pineapple, they bowed their heads, giving it their respects. Rosalina heard Buck sniff and she hugged him and started to sing.

_Goodbye's the saddest word I'll ever hear_

_Goodbye's the last time I will hold you near_

Roxanne sang with her. Hugging Buck on his right side.

_Rosalina and Roxanne: Someday you'll say that word and I will cry_

_It'll break my heart to hear you say goodbye._

Rosalina and Roxanne hugged him tighter and looked up at the night sky. Rosalina said in a whisper, "Take care of Buck's wife, mom."

After the small funeral, Roxanne asked, "What do we do now?" The others looked at her and

Buck said, "I guess I'll have to move on, lass."

Rosalina tried to make them smile and said, "Well. Maybe we'll feel better tomorrow..." Roxanne nodded and slept in her new leaf bed.

Buck sat on a small stone, sharpening his knife against a small rock. Rosalina hated seeing him so sad, so she got up from her bed and sat next to Buck. He turned his head and asked her, "I thought you were supposed to be asleep, lass. Wot's wrong?"

Rosalina's ears went flat against her head and said softly, "I just wanted to sing you one more song."

Buck was touched by this and said, "Let me hear it." Rosalina smiled and sang.

_Smile though you heart is aching._

_Smile even though it's breaking._

_When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by._

_If you smile through your pain and sorrow,_

_Smile and maybe tomorrow,_

_You'll see the sun come shining through, for you._

_Light up your face with gladness._

_Hide every trace of sadness._

_Although, a tear maybe ever so near._

_That's the time you must keep on trying._

_Smile, what's the use of crying._

Rosalina caught a tear from Buck's eye and continued singing.

_You'll find that life is still worth while._

_If you just smile._

She finished the song and hugged Buck while he cried on her shoulder. Finally, he stopped crying and looked at Rosalina. He smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "Thanks, lass. You were very sweet fo' singing that to me."

Rosalina smiled back and asked him, "You're welcome. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I think I'll be all right." He whispered. Rosalina nodded and walked back to her leaf bed.

After some time, Buck walked over to Rosalina's bed and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Rosy." And he walked over to his hammock and slept the rest of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 2

Jenna woke up early in the morning and got ready to baby sit for another couple. She stretched her arms as she sat up. She walked out of her den and said happily, "Time to take care of some more kids."

She strolled around the village until she found a family of aardvarks and walked over to them. The mother realized Jenna was walking toward them. "Oh, look, honey. Maybe she can watch the kids while we're gone." She said to her husband.

"Hi! You need a babysitter? I'm free." Jenna told the couple. They looked at each other and looked back at her with smiles.

"Make sure that they go to bed by the time we come back." The mother told her. Jenna just smiled and waved as the couple walked away.

Then, she turned to around and looked at the three aardvarks with a smile. "All right, kids. I want you to behave while your parents are gone, okay? I'll be watching you today, and I'll be happy to play with you guys if you want me to." Jenna told them.

The kids nodded and two of the aardvarks were playing tag except for one of them. The girl walked over to Jenna and asked her in a small voice, "Can you sing?"

Jenna was taken aback with that question and said sweetly, "Of course I can, sweetie." She cleared her throat and sang.

_I can take a rainy day on the roof of this empty house_

_That don't bother me_

_I can take a few tears every now and then_

_And just let them out_

_I'm not afraid to cry_

_Every once in a while even though goin' on_

_With you gone, still upsets me._

Jenna thought about her parents' death, but she shook it off and continued singing.

_There are days_

_Every now and again I pretend I'm okay_

_But that's not what gets me_

_What hurts the most, is being so close_

_And having so much to say_

_And watching you walk away_

_Never knowing_

_What could've been_

_And not seein' that lovin' you_

_Is what I was trying to do._

Jenna had tears in her eyes, remembering how much she loved her parents. She finished her song and asked her, "How was that?"

"That was pretty." The girl replied.

Suddenly, her ears perked up as she heard someone yell, "I bet you can't get me on ice." Jenna gasped and she ran towards the kid on the thin ice, which was about to break.

She screamed, "NO!" She pushed the aardvark out of the way, but before she could get back to where the kids are, the ice cracked and she fell.

The kids were frightened and they ran to find their parents and tell them what happened.

Jenna let out an ear-piercing scream as she fell. Finally, she fell on rough ground.. Frightened, she looked at her surroundings. She saw dinosaurs and a lot of green around her. She tried to run, but she sprained her left ankle and she fell.

With Buck and the girls, they were walking around Dinotopia and talking. Rosalina's ears perked up when she smelled something. Buck looked confused and asked her, "Wot' is it, lass?"

"I smell something." She replied quietly.

Roxanne could smell it too and she got lifted her head up and said, "Guys, follow me." Rosalina and Buck followed her, using their noses also to find the owner of the sweet scent.

Back with Jenna

Jenna got done making a leaf dress and making a cast for her ankle. She looked around and stuttered to herself, "I f-f-feel s-so puny." She jumped when she heard some bushes rustling.

Then, she heard someone whisper, "I think it's going to be another weasel. Let's hope it's not Tim."

Jenna stuttered loudly, "S-s-show y-y-yourself!"

As soon as she said that, she saw a couple of teenaged she-weasels and a male weasel wearing an eye patch and carrying a knife in his right hand. Her eyes widened with shock.

Buck and the twins' eyes widened too. Finally, they got out of their trance and Buck started to sniff the newcomer. Jenna giggled and blushed as he sniffed her. Buck noted that she had a natural scent of strawberry and that she was around his age.

When he was done looking at her, he introduced himself, "Buck! The name's Buck. Short for Buckminster. Long for 'baa'."

Rosalina and Roxanne were next. "Hi! I'm Rosalina, but you can call me Rose or Rosy for short. And this is my twin sister, Roxanne." Roxanne just waved at her.

Jenna finally snapped out of her trance and introduced herself, "I'm Jenna, but you can just call me Jen." She smiled a little.

Rosalina and Roxanne whispered excitedly to each other, "We got another girl down here. Yes!" Buck heard them say this and he rolled his eye but smiled.

"Wot' are you doin' here?" He asked, getting back to being serious.

"Well, I was babysitting some kids until one of them were on thin ice and I pushed him away so he wouldn't fall down and I sort of fell down." Jenna answered, blushing in embarrassment.

Roxanne laughed, "Babysitting! That's the worst thing you could do. The kids are like monsters."

Rosalina elbowed her hard on her rib and gave Jenna an apologetic smile.

"Well, I think babysitting is fun. Kids aren't monsters either." Jenna said in an offended tone.

"Be nice, Roxanne." Rosalina and Buck told her.

Jenna reminded herself that she needed to get back to the surface. She asked them shyly, "Will you help me get back to the surface, please?"

Buck looked at both of the girls, they nodded their heads yes. Buck smiled and said, "All right. We'll help ya', but we got rules."

Buck said the first rule, "Rule numba' one: Always listen to Buck."

Rosalina said the second rule, "Rule number 2: Stay in the middle of the trail."

Roxanne said the last rule, "Rule number 3: Just stay close."

Jenna smiled and said excitedly, "That doesn't seem so hard. Okay, let's go!"

Roxanne muttered to Buck, "She scares me."

"I think she's really nice." Rosalina grinned.

"This is why I had a hard time getting used to my sister." She shuddered.

"Hey!" Rosalina yelled, offended.

Buck chuckled, "Aye! Let's focus on bringing the lass home, all right?"

The girls stopped fighting and nodded.

Jenna knew this was gonna be a long journey.


	3. Chapter 3

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 3

As they were walking, Jenna was wondering how they got down here. Rosalina got bored and walked beside Jenna. She turned her head to see Rosalina was right next to her. She smiled at her and asked her, "How did you girls get down here?"

Rosalina smiled back and told her, "We were running away from our abusive step-father, Tim."

Jenna was taken aback by this._ What kind of parent would hit their children? _She thought. She gasped softly and asked her sadly, "Both of you, just your sister, or just you?"

Rosalina replied sadly, "Just me."

She felt sorry for both of the she-weasels, and she gave Rosalina a soft comforting pat on her shoulder. Roxanne turned around and she motioned Rosalina to walk beside her. She sighed through her nose and walked beside her sister, holding Jenna's paw.

Roxanne turned her head to Buck and asked him, "Where're we going?"

He threw his knife over his shoulder and answered, "Jungle of Misery." She nodded and continued walking.

Rosalina and Jenna were walking hand-in-hand as they walked. Jenna asked her shyly, "How old are you and your sister?"

Rosalina smiled and answered, "Sixteen, in human years."

Jenna replied, "Oh." Then, she continued walking. Rosalina was already beginning to warm up to Jenna and they just met her. She chuckled quietly at this and ran beside Buck.

He turned his head and smiled softly at his foster daughter and continued walking. Rosalina smiled back and walked hand-in-hand with Jenna and Roxanne.

Jenna wondered why Roxanne was trying to get away from her. She turned her head to the side with a confused look on her face. Then, she asked, "Why is your sister trying to get away from me?"

Rosalina remembered her little conversation with her sister and replied, "She said that you scare her, but I said you were really nice." Jenna's ears drooped and didn't say anything else. Rosalina saw she was a little upset. She patted her shoulder comfortingly and said sternly, "Ignore my sister. She's always trying to make somebody upset." She just nodded.

Suddenly, Buck stopped walking, causing the three she-weasels to bump into him. Roxanne was getting annoyed by this and growled lowly. Rosalina helped Jenna up and asked him, "Where are we?" Jenna looked at her surroundings and saw orange and purple flowers on some branches.

She smiled a little and said to Buck, "Jungle of Misery doesn't look miserable."

"Well, if you run into a carnivorous plant, it'll be your misery." Buck said in a creepy tone. Jenna froze at the word 'carnivorous' and shuddered.

Rosalina held Jenna's hand as they walked through. Suddenly, Jenna saw some eyes coming out of some flowers, she gasped, and the eyes went back inside the flowers. She stuttered, "D-d-d-did y-you s-s-see that?"

Rosalina said frightened, "Yeah." Then, they ran to catch up with her sister and Buck.

Buck saw the she-weasels trying to catch up to them and told them quietly, "Stay close, okay." They nodded and walked beside him.

Jenna walked next to Buck and asked him shyly, "Have you guys been here before?"

"Twice, actually. One time with a herd, and the second time to bring Rosy and Roxanne here to make some clothes for themselves." He replied. Jenna looked at the Rosalina's blue dress and Roxanne's orange top and skirt.

Then, she remembered him talking about a herd and asked him shocked, "A herd came down here? Can you tell me about them?" Buck chuckled.

He thought her concern was cute, but he shook it off and smiled, "Sure. There were three mammoths, two possums, a sloth, and a saber-tooth tiger." Jenna tilted her head to the side, confused, and one of her ears were lob sided.

"Hmm." Was her only response and stopped talking.

Roxanne's stomach started to rumble and she groaned, "Hey. I'm getting hungry, guys." Then, she saw red pear in the middle of the jungle and ran to it.

Rosalina screamed, "No, Roxanne! Buck told us not to mess with that thing!"

"But, I'm hungry!" She snapped.

"Fine, get eaten for all I care." Rosalina muttered angrily.

Jenna walked over to Roxanne and asked her, "Don't you find it suspicious that a pear-like thingy is in the middle of the jungle?"

Roxanne snorted a laugh and snapped, "Look! I'm just hungry so I don't care!" As soon as she grabbed it, a vine grabbed Roxanne and Jenna's ankles and lifted them up in the air.

"Roxanne! Jenna!" Rosalina screamed.

"For the record I blame you for this!" Roxanne snapped at Jenna.

"What did I do? All I asked you was if you found that suspicious! Besides, your sister warned you, so it's your own fault!" Jenna snapped back. Suddenly, the carnivorous plant dropped them inside and the she-weasels screamed as they fell.

Rosalina looked at Buck with a scared look on her face. Buck and Rosalina said dramatically, "It's time to get …. Buck and Rose Wild." The two weasels sprang into action, dodging the vines as they tried to get them. Buck and Rosalina flipped in the air. Buck got stuck and Rosalina fell back-first and landed on Buck's rump, causing him to slip inside and Rosalina to fall in instantly with a yelp.

Jenna screamed, "Guys! I can't swim!" Roxanne rolled her eyes and held her breath as the acid rose. Buck opened the bottom of the plant and Rosalina was shocked to see wires inside of a plant. She held the vines for Buck as he decided which wire to cut. He shrugged and cut the red vine, causing the acid to rise up.

Jenna and Roxanne whimpered as the acid rose to their heads. Rosalina was about to lose her breath, but she was trying hard not to. Buck grabbed his knife and sliced the blue wire. He grabbed Jenna, Rosalina, and Roxanne as the plant was about to upchuck them.

Finally, the plant exploded and the weasels flew up in the air and Roxanne and Jenna fell on each other while Buck and Rosalina landed safely on the ground.

Jenna and Roxanne ran to them. Roxanne walked over to her sister and said sarcastically to Rosalina, "Thanks for the warning, sis."

Rosalina just rolled her eyes and asked Jenna, "You okay, Jenna?" She nodded and shook herself off.

Buck gently nudged Rosalina and smiled, "Nice job, lass."

"No problem." She grinned softly.

Roxanne cleared her throat and asked them, "I think it's time to keep walking, you think?"

"Lass, I think we need to take a break and then we'll get movin'." Roxanne looked over at Jenna and Rosalina who were talking to each other and nodded a little.

Jenna saw Roxanne running over to where she and Rosalina were and half-smiled. Roxanne sat next to her sister and apologized hysterically, "Hey! I'm sorry, okay! I'm sorry I'm being a jerk, I'm sorry for making Jenna feel bad, and I'm sorry that was being a bully! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Rosalina turned around to face her sister and laughed, "Chill out, sis. I'm not mad."

"You're not?" Roxanne asked like a little kid.

Rosalina giggled, "No." Roxanne gave Rosalina a bone-crushing hug. Jenna giggled at Rosalina's face as she was being hugged.

Rosalina panted, "Sis. You're….. hurting… me."

"Sorry." She apologized, releasing her sister.

Jenna chuckled at the girls while Buck was talking into a rock like it was a cell phone. "No, no. I'm bringin' a lass home. Yeah." Buck chuckled. Rosalina, Roxanne, and Jenna looked at Buck with confused faces as he continued talking into the rock.

"Are you plucking my whiskers? I'm too going to bring her back to the surface unharmed! Shut up!" Buck snapped at the rock and threw it down.

Rosalina and Roxanne snapped out of their trance and looked over at Jenna, who was still in her confused state. They shook her out of her trance and gave her a look that said, "We know." Jenna nodded and walked over to Buck.

She asked him in a gentle voice, "Are we going to get a move on, now?"

Buck smiled, "Yeah." Then, he ordered. "All right, gals. Let's get goin'! Come on! Chop, chop!"

Rosalina and Roxanne ran beside Jenna and walked arm-in-arm with Jenna in between them.


	4. Chapter 4

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 4

The weasels were walking silently until Roxanne broke the silence, "Want to know the funniest word in the world? Pickle weasel!" She laughed sarcastically and then stopped. Buck, Jenna, and Rosalina turned their heads and chuckled a little.

Rosalina asked her with a giggle, "Where did you come up with that?"

Roxanne shrugged said, "I don't know. I was bored."

Jenna decided to join in on the girls' conversation and said, "I can't blame you. I am too, but I'm sure there is still some more danger to come."

"That's true." Rosalina and Roxanne muttered with a nod.

Buck could already tell the girls were getting bored. He decided to say something to get their attention, "Ay! We're almost to the Cave of Depression!"

The she-weasels looked up at him and smiled. Rosalina was pumped, and Roxanne and Jenna could see it. Roxanne chuckled, "Excited much?"

Rosalina smirked, "Oh, yeah."

Jenna chuckled, "I think Buck dawned on you, huh?" Rosalina nodded excitedly and ran next to Buck.

Buck saw the excited look on Rosalina's face and smirked at her, "You're ready. I can tell."

Rosalina nodded again and smiled, "I think I rubbed off on you."

Buck smiled and said proudly to himself, "That's my Rosy."

Jenna beamed at Rosalina as she walked next to Buck. Roxanne muttered jealously to Jenna, "I think I should change my image. I mean, I'm always being a brat and all, but I think Buck just favors Rosalina over me because of that."

Jenna gasped, "Roxanne, you know Buck loves both of you. You're his daughter. I think you just need to talk to him more."

Roxanne sighed, "I'm just used to being alone. That's why I hardly chat with him."

Jenna's ears drooped and asked her, "Want me to go talk to him?" Roxanne nodded.

Jenna picked up her pace and walked next to Buck and sighed, "Hey, Buck. May I talk to you?" Buck nodded.

Jenna sighed and explained, "Buck, Roxanne thinks you favor Rosalina over her because she thinks she acts like a brat."

Buck gasped, "Why did she think that? She needs to know I love both Rosalina and her. She's my daughter. There is no favorite because I favor them both."

"That's what I told her." Jenna said softly.

Rosalina heard their conversation and gasped. She harshly pulled her sister beside her and whispered harshly, "Why in the flippin' world do you think that? We're his daughters! He loves both of us, and you think he just likes me?"

"Sis, you're hurting my arm!" Roxanne screamed in pain.

Rosalina's grip on her sister's arm loosened and she said softly, "I don't know why you think that. Just so you know, there is no favorite. He loves both of us."

"He always smiles at you and talks to you…"

"I don't want to hear it. We'll discuss this tonight." Rosalina cut her off sternly.

Buck and Jenna heard them arguing and sighed. "This is bothering you, isn't it?" Jenna asked him shyly.

Buck nodded and said softly, "I wish they wouldn't compete against each other to see which daughter I favor over the other."

"I know." Jenna sighed. She accidentally leaned her head on his shoulder. Buck jumped at her sudden action .Jenna realized this and she quickly lifted her head up and blushed, "Sorry."

"That's all right." He said while rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed. He saw Jenna's blush and started chuckling nervously.

Rosalina stomped over to Buck and Jenna and asked Buck, "When are we going to get there?"

Buck could see how upset she was and told her softly, "In about twenty more minutes, lass." She nodded and leaned her head on Jenna's shoulder.

Jenna looked up at the sky and saw it the sun was setting. She looked over at Buck and she said shyly, "I think it's getting late." Buck looked up and saw the sun setting.

He threw his knife on the ground and stated, "We'll camp here fo' the night. We should get there by tomorrow. "

The she-weasels nodded and went to find giant leaves and wood for the campfire.

As they got settled, Roxanne looked at Rosalina, expecting her to say something. Finally, Rosalina said in a low tone, "I can't believe this, Roxanne. I just can't."

"I know. I shouldn't have thought of this in the first place." Roxanne said sadly.

"To be honest, I think I should just go."

Roxanne was taken aback with this and asked her worriedly, "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere away from the girl who doesn't appreciate a thing I do for her." Rosalina stated sternly.

Roxanne was furious by Rosalina's remark and harshly dragged Rosalina by her arm and growled, "You. Aren't. Going. Anywhere."

Rosalina snapped, "Let me go!"

"No!" Roxanne screamed. Rosalina tried to claw her wrist, but then, she felt a burning sensation hit her cheek. Her own twin sister had slapped her. Rosalina's lip quivered and cowered back against the stone as Roxanne started hitting and punching her sister.

"Roxanne! Please stop!" Rosalina sobbed.

Buck and Jenna heard a screaming and turned their heads to see Roxanne hurting her sister and Rosalina on the ground sobbing. They darted towards them and pulled Roxanne off of Rosalina. Jenna helped Rosalina up. Rosalina's lip quivered and she sprinted through the bushes. "I'll go after her." Jenna assured Buck as she gently patted his arm and sprinted after her.

Buck looked at Roxanne angrily and asked, "Why did you do that?"

"She is such a brat! I hope she dies!" she snapped. Buck threw Roxanne over his shoulder and sat her on a stone and sat him and Roxanne down.

He sighed, "You're no' acting like yourself, Roxanne. Wot's wrong with you?"

Roxanne looked at him with tear-filled eyes and sobbed. Buck's ears were pressed against his head as he held his foster daughter in his arms.

"I'm sorry! I just can't stand the fact that you love Rosalina more than me." Roxanne gasped between sobs. Buck looked at her, wide-eyed.

"Why would you think that?" He asked.

"Because you…" Roxanne couldn't think of any excuse. She just looked away from him and continued to cry. Buck turned Roxanne's head with his paw and got her to look at him. Roxanne stared at him with puffy eyes.

Buck sighed, "Roxanne, dear, I love you and Rosalina so very much. There's no favorite because you two are the best foster-daughters I could eva' ask fo'." He pulled Roxanne into a tight, but gentle, hug. Roxanne hugged him back and snuggled into his warm fur.

"I love you." Roxanne whispered softly.

"I love you, too." Buck whispered back and kissed her forehead.

Rosalina sobbed as she found a sharp rock and began to cut her arm. Jenna ran to Rosalina and threw the rock far away. Blood was running through Rosalina's arm as she sobbed. Jenna found a nearby puddle and a small gourd, filled it up with water, and ran to Rosalina. She kept on sobbing on a stone as Jenna washed the blood off of Rosalina's wound.

Rosalina looked at Jenna and sniffed, "L-l-leave m-m-me a-alone." Jenna wrapped a leaf around her arm and hugged her close. Rosalina sobbed harder and buried her face into Jenna's shoulder.

Jenna softly kissed her on the forehead and sighed, "Let's get you back to the camp."

Buck carried Roxanne in her leaf bed and covered her up. Then, he saw Jenna and Rosalina walking through the bushes. Buck gasped as he saw a leaf over Rosalina's wound.

Jenna sighed, "She cut herself with a sharp rock." Rosalina was leaning on Jenna until, she fell to the ground. Buck quickly caught her and held her in his arms. Finally, he carried Rosalina to her leaf bed, covered her up, and sat on a nearby stone.

Jenna sighed and sat next to him. She said tiredly, "Rough night, huh?"

Buck nodded and closed his eye. "You don't mind if I…?" Buck asked sadly.

"No, not at all. You need some comfort." Jenna replied. Buck sighed and leaned his head on her shoulder.

Jenna wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders and said sadly, "I hope Rosalina will be okay, especially Roxanne."

"Yeah, me, too." Buck sighed.

She gently rubbed his shoulders and back and asked, "Are you going to be all right?"

"I hope so." He answered softly.

She nodded and patted his shoulder, "I'm sure everything will be okay tomorrow." Then, she walked over to her leaf hammock and fell asleep.

Buck sighed and picked up his knife and continued to sharpen it.


	5. Chapter 5

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 5

It was a cloudy day when Buck, Jenna, and Roxanne got up. Buck walked over to Rosalina's bed and saw that she wasn't there. Buck gasped, causing Jenna and Roxanne to turn around and gasp too.

Jenna asked, "Where's Rosalina?" Roxanne found a leaf note on the ground and it read, _I'm going to be somewhere for a while._ She gave the note to Buck.

After he read the note, he grabbed his knife and ordered, "Roxanne, stay here. Jenna and I will find her." She nodded and watched Jenna and Buck run through the ferns.

Rosalina was sitting on a stone and looking at herself through a puddle. She sighed and sang.

_Lithium._

_Don't want to lock me up inside lithium._

_Don't want to forget how it feels without lithium._

_I want to stay in love with my sorrow._

_Oh, but God, I want to let it go._

Rosalina's voice got stronger as she continued singing.

_Come to bed. Don't make me sleep alone._

_Couldn't hide the emptiness. You let it show._

_Never wanted it to be so cold._

_Just didn't drink enough to say you love me._

Rosalina started having flashbacks of her days with their step-father and started to tear up.

_I can't hold onto me._

_Wonder what's wrong with me._

_Lithium. _

_Don't want to lock me up inside lithium._

_Don't want to forget how it feels without lithium._

_I want to stay in love with my sorrow._

_Oh! Don't want to let it lay me down this time._

_Drown my will to fly._

_Here in the darkness, I know myself._

_Can't break free until I let it go._

_Let me go!_

A tear rolled down Rosalina's cheek as she kept on singing.

_Darling, I forgive you after all._

_Anything is better than to be alone._

_And in the end, I guess I had to fall._

_Always find my place among the ashes._

_I can't hold on to me._

_Wonder what's wrong with me._

_Lithium!_

_Don't want to lock me up inside lithium!_

_Don't want to forget how it feels without lithium!_

_I want to stay in love with you._

_Oh! I'm gonna let it go._

Rosalina buried her face into her hands and began to sob.

Jenna and Buck heard a feminine voice and singing from a distance. "That sounds like Rosalina!" Jenna yelled.

"Thank goodness she's all right." Buck said relieved.

They walked a little more until they heard Rosalina's sobs getting louder. Finally, they found her sitting on a stone, sobbing. They ran to her and started hugging her close. Rosalina turned around and saw Jenna and Buck hugging her. She sobbed into Buck's chest while Jenna shushed her. "Please don't scare me like that again." Buck sighed.

Buck held Rosalina tight as he told Jenna, "Let's go back to the camp." She nodded and followed behind.

Roxanne waited long enough and started to look for them. Suddenly, she heard a rustle coming from bushes and saw Buck holding Rosalina by his side and Jenna following behind. She sighed in relief and said, "You found her."

Rosalina heard Roxanne's voice and began to cower behind Jenna. Roxanne sighed and said, "Let's go." They nodded and started to walk through the bushes and leaves.

Buck looked at Rosalina and asked her, "Why did ya' run away fo'?"

"Im sorry if I scared you, but I was so depressed that I walked somewhere to be by myself." She answered softly.

Buck's ears were pressed against his head and said, "It's all right. I didn't know. Sometimes, I do the same. If I was depressed, I would just sit on a stone and just think. Well, at least you didn't get eaten by Rudy." He smirked and Rosalina laughed and hugged Buck.

Jenna looked over at Roxanne, who had her head down, ears pressed against her head, and tears escaping her eyes. Jenna sighed and walked next to her and Roxanne muttered sadly, "This is all my fault. Thanks to me, she's scared of me."

Jenna held Roxanne close and whispered, "Maybe she'll forgive you."

"Forgive me? I just hit her and you're saying that she'll forgive me for what I've done? Are you insane?" Roxanne screamed.

Jenna slowly backed away from her and said softly, "You never know. Just give her some time to forget what happened last night and maybe she'll forgive you." She picked up her pace and walked beside Buck.

"Ay! Thanks fo' helping me find Rosy." Buck smiled at Jenna.

"Anytime." She replied with a grin.

Rosalina smiled a little and asked, "Jenna? May I talk to you?" Jenna was confused and walked over to Rosalina.

She sighed and said, "I don't know if I should forgive Roxanne for what she did last night. It reminded me of my step-father and now, I don't know if I should trust her again."

Jenna frowned, "Roxanne was talking to me about this too. She said that thanks to her, you're scared of her." Rosalina was scared of her, but she knew that Roxanne wasn't being herself lately. Ever since they found Jenna, she's been bossy, mean, sassy, and aggressive.

She shook off her thoughts and cleared her throat, "Well, I'll try to figure this out, but in the meantime, let's just go through the Cave of Depression." Jenna nodded and followed behind Buck and Roxanne.

At last, they have made it to the Cave of Depression. Buck tossed his knife in the air and caught it by the hilt. Then, he said quietly, "All right, stay close and watch your step." The she-weasels nodded and walked beside Buck.

As they were walking, Rosalina sighed sadly, "I always feel like I'm a worthless piece of trash."

"I always think I'm just a stupid and ignorant brat. I never once said 'thank you' to Rosalina after she has done so much for me. I am so heartless." Roxanne sobbed.

Jenna sobbed, "Why did they kill my mom? They didn't know how much I loved her and I feel like it's all my fault."

Buck sighed, "I wish I got to know my parents betta' befo' they died. They risked their life to save my tail from those vicious tiga's." Jenna and Buck had tears in their eyes and hugged each other as they cried.

Rosalina half screamed and half sobbed, "I-I-I th- think w-we're a-almost out!" After walking miles through the cave with sobbing and regrets, they finally made it out, Buck and Jenna still hugging each other. Buck and Jenna gasped and departed quickly and blushed.

Rosalina giggled at them and said, "Okay, lovebirds, we better get going." Jenna blushed harder at the word 'lovebirds' and giggled nervously. Buck rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously.

Finally, he smirked, "All right, let's go." The she-weasels nodded and followed behind him.

_Rosalina called us lovebirds. He's just a friend. Or is he? Snap out of it, Jenna! Of course he's just a friend! _"Shut up!" Jenna mentally yelled at herself. Rosalina and Roxanne looked at her with confused faces and shook their heads.

Buck turned his head and asked, "Uh, lass. Are you okay?"

Jenna looked at Buck and blushed, "Sorry. Just some stupid thoughts in my head. Stupid brain." She hit her head and giggled nervously causing Buck to chuckle and turn his head.

_I'm so stupid._ Jenna thought as she walked between Rosalina and Roxanne.

Roxanne looked over at her sister, who was looking at all the trees and bushes around her. She sighed through her nose and walked beside her. Rosalina jumped a little and said softly, "Hi."

"Hey." Roxanne said, plainly. This was her chance to make things right again.

She looked at her and said calmly, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just being a jerk to you. Now, you're probably scared of me. I am very sorry. I regret everything I said about you. I am just very sorry."

Rosalina looked at her sister, who had tears in her eyes. She saw how sorry she looked and said, "Apology accepted. Sisters again?"

"Sisters again." Roxanne stated. Rosalina and Roxanne cried on each others shoulder as they hugged.

Buck and Jenna turned around and smiled at each other as they saw the two sisters hugging. Buck smiled, "Let's get Jenny home." The she-weasels smiled and followed Buck. Jenna looked at Buck and smiled again and walked hand-in-hand with Rosalina and Roxanne.


	6. Chapter 6

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 6

Buck was trying to shake off what happened after they got to the end of the Cave of Depression. "Sorry about what happened back at that cave. I guess you're probably just as embarrassed as I am." Jenna smiled apologetically.

Buck threw his knife over his shoulder and said, "It's all right. I was pretty embarrassed when it happened, and Rosalina calling us 'lovebirds'." He chuckled. Jenna averted her gaze and blushed.

Roxanne thought mischievously, _Hmmm. I wonder if I can play "Matchmaker." They seem like a cute couple. _She giggled at the thought and walked behind Jenna.

Roxanne's stomach started to rumble loudly. "Shush! Mamma's going to eat soon." She said mentally to her stomach as she patted it gently.

Jenna and Rosalina tried to hold back their laughter when Roxanne was talking to her stomach. Rosalina tapped Buck's shoulder and giggled, "I think Roxanne's getting hungry."

Buck smirked, "Maybe we should stop here and find something to eat. Who's hungry?"

"Oh, oh, oh, oh! Me, me, me!" Roxanne jumped up and down with her hand up.

Two hours later, Buck came back with a giant peach. "Whoa! That is one big peach." Jenna exclaimed, shocked.

Buck chuckled, "Aye!" Rosalina and Roxanne smiled at Jenna and dug in. Jenna's 'o' shaped mouth finally closed and walked towards the peach.

Buck saw Jenna walk towards the peach and ran to her. "Here. Let me cut out a piece fo' you, lass." He said kindly as he cut a medium-sized chunk off of the peach and gave it to Jenna, who blushed a dark shade of red.

"Thanks." She said shyly.

Buck saw her blush and chuckled, "No problem."

As Rosalina and Roxanne were eating their peace of peach, Roxanne whispered to her sister, "Hey, Rose! I think Jenna likes Buck. I mean, not like a best friend thing, but more."

"You think? I think they're just best friends right now and not an actual item." Rosalina whispered back.

Jenna lifted her head from her peach when she overheard Rosalina and Roxanne's conversation and blushed hard. "I'm full." She lied.

Buck looked at her blush and asked, "Wot's wrong, lass?"

"Nothing, really." Jenna lied again. Buck just shrugged and finished his peach piece.

After they were finally done, Roxanne sighed satisfied, "Yeah. Nothing better than having a peach for lunch, huh?" Rosalina nodded in agreement and looked at Jenna, who was standing over them, blushing a little.

Roxanne mouthed,_ Uh oh! I think she heard us earlier._ Rosalina chuckled nervously, "You heard our conversation, didn't you?"

Jenna nodded and said, "Girls, I'm glad you concerned about my love life, but Buck and I are just best friends. Besides, it's too soon." Rosalina mouthed to Roxanne, _Told you._

She smirked victoriously at Roxanne and explained, "Actually, I said you guys were best friends for now, but Roxanne said that you guys would make a cute couple." Jenna was trying to let the info sink in and mouthed, _Oh, okay. I'm going to walk this way now._ She pointed to a stone and made her way over to it.

Roxanne looked at her sister and said, "We got to stop doing that mouthing thing." Rosalina only chuckled in response and walked to where Buck was.

Buck was wiping the peach juice off of his knife with a leaf and saw Rosalina and Roxanne walk towards him. He smirked a little and said, "Just tryin' ta' get the juice off my knife."

"We can see that." Roxanne replied.

He chuckled and asked, "Ya' need to talk to me or something?" Both girls looked at each other and nodded.

Roxanne explained with a nervous giggle, "Um. We sort of talked about you and Jenna being a cute couple. Rosalina said that you guys were just best friends, but I said that you guys could be an item someday."

Buck's only blue eye widened and said calmly, "Girls, I'm still trying ta' cope with my wife's death. I'm sure I'll find somebody ta' love after I get over it."

"That somebody could be Jenna. Hey, I'm just saying. You guys can be friends for now, but soon, you two are going to click." Roxanne said.

Rosalina looked at her sister and whispered, "Roxanne, let him cope and get over it, and then, we'll see what happens between them." She nodded and walked away.

Rosalina sighed and pressed her ears against her head and asked, "Are you mad at us?"

Buck shook his head and squeezed her shoulder, "Nah. I think you girls are just tryin' ta' help me move on. But, it's too soon to know if Jenna really likes me or no'."

She sighed in relief and hugged him. He returned the hug and ordered, "Get the otha' lasses ova' here and then, we'll head out." She saluted and went to get Jenna and her sister. Buck chuckled when she saluted and picked up his knife.

Finally, Rosalina ran back to Buck with Roxanne and Jenna behind her. He tossed his knife in the air and caught it by the hilt and smirked, "All right, follow me." The she-weasels nodded and followed behind him.

Jenna walked beside Buck and asked nervously, "Did the girls tell you about the 'cute couple' thing?"

"Yeah. I guess they're tryin' to play matchmakers." Buck answered with a small chuckle. Jenna held back a laugh with a quiet giggle.

"Maybe, they want me to stay down here or something." Jenna guessed. Buck looked at her and smiled a little, causing Jenna to avert her gaze and blush. He chuckled at this and threw his knife over his shoulder.

Rosalina and Roxanne walked over to Jenna and asked, "What did he say?"

Jenna burst into a small fit of giggles and said, "He thought you girls were trying to play "matchmakers." Rosalina and Roxanne chuckled mischievously behind Jenna's back and high-fived each other.

Buck looked at Jenna and thought, _Maybe I should ask Jenny if she would like to stay down here with us._ He shook it off and kept his eye on the path.

Jenna wondered if Rosalina and Roxanne _were_ trying to get them to hook up. "Do you know what happened to Buck's eye?" She asked Rosalina.

"He lost it from his first encounter with Rudy. That also explains where he got the knife, which he retrieved when he shot out of his mouth." Rosalina answered.

"Any more questions?" Roxanne asked Jenna kindly –surprisingly.

"Oh, yeah. Who is Rudy?"

Buck turned around at Jenna's question and explained, "Rudy? He's an albino dinosaur that took out my eye, but in exchange, I have his tooth, which is my knife."

"Wow!" Jenna exclaimed silently.

"Yeah, wow!" Rosalina and Roxanne exclaimed the same way Jenna did.

Roxanne walked beside Buck and asked nervously, "Will Rudy find us?" Jenna got in a nervous pose when she asked him that.

Buck shook his head, "I don't think so, but if he does, get in your fighting stance." She nodded and saw Jenna pointing at something.

Buck saw her pointing at something behind him and turned around. He snapped, "Ay! Move out of the way! Go on, shoo!" The thing behind him was a big butterfly, which was flying away.

Finally, he explained, "I knew that guy since he was a caterpillar. You know, before he came out." Jenna, Rosalina, and Roxanne gave him a weird look then shook it off after ten seconds of confusion.

_He never did tell us he knew a dad gum butterfly._ Rosalina and Roxanne thought.

Suddenly, Jenna smelled something and followed the scent. Finally, she found it behind a bush and screamed, "AH! NO! BROCILLI! OH, MY EYES!"

Rosalina's, Roxanne's, and Buck's ears perked up and ran to where Jenna was. Buck asked, "Wot is it, lass?"

Rosalina, Roxanne, and Buck saw why she screamed and screamed, "OH, NO! BROCILLI!" They tried to hold in their gags as they saw the terrible sight before them.

Rosalina screamed, "THROW IT AWAY!" Roxanne frantically threw the horrible vegetable far away and they all sighed in relief. Then, they all looked at each other and started laughing.

"That was so hilarious!" Rosalina said between laughs.

"Yeah! That was so funny!" Roxanne agreed between laughs.

Jenna laughed, "When I screamed, I sounded so, dramatic!"

After five minutes, Jenna and Buck finally stopped laughing and looked at each other, causing them to accidentally touch nose-to-nose. They pulled away quickly and blushed hard. Buck cleared his throat and said, "All right! Calm down, now. We got ta' get Jenna home." Rosalina and Roxanne stopped laughing and walked arm-in-arm.

_That's the first time he actually got my name right._ Jenna thought as she walked.

Jenna looked at Buck and apologized, "Sorry about the "nose-to-nose" thing earlier."

Buck squeezed her shoulder, "It's fine. Accidents happen." Jenna nodded in agreement and silently walked beside the twins.

"Is something on your mind, Jen?" Roxanne asked Jenna.

"I know this might be personal, but what did your mother look like?" Jenna asked.

Roxanne gasped softly and sadly described her, "She looks like us, she had a heart-shaped birthmark on her left paw; the same mark that's on Rosalina's paw."

Jenna looked at Rosalina's left paw and saw the exact same birthmark on it. Roxanne continued, "She was sweet, very beautiful, and she could sing very well just like us. Gosh, I miss her."

Jenna caught a tear from Roxanne's eye and gave her an arm-around-shoulder hug. Rosalina looked at them and said, "That's how we got her talent and her looks." Roxanne looked at her and smiled. She smiled back and grinned at Jenna. Then, Jenna asked, "What was her name?"

"Clarissa." Rosalina and Roxanne answered. Jenna's baby blue eyes widened and exclaimed, "I knew her! We met when we were seventeen! We used to be very good friends!"

"No way!" Rosalina and Roxanne exclaimed, shocked.

"Yes way!" Jenna said.

Buck turned around and asked, "Wot's with all the excitement back there?"

"Buck, Jenna knew our mother!" Roxanne yelled, jumping up and down with Rosalina.

He looked at Jenna and asked, "Is this true, Jen?" Jenna nodded with a smile.

"Huh. Pfft. Females." Buck said softly.

After all the excitement finally over, Buck looked at the sky and saw that it was getting late. He cleared his throat and said, "We'll have ta' camp here tonight."

Roxanne elbowed Jenna and said, "Same thing happened to us when we first met him." She nodded and went to find some leaves for their sleeping areas.

Rosalina and Roxanne went to help Buck find some wood for their fire. Buck looked over at Rosalina and whispered, "Rosy, come here?" she looked at him, confused and scurried over to him.

He got closer to her and whispered in her ear, "If you want to, you and Roxanne can ask Jenna if she wants to stay down here with us before we bring her back up there."

Rosalina beamed and hugged him tight. "Awesome! I'll tell Roxanne tomorrow!" Rosalina exclaimed happily. He smiled at her and used a vine to haul the wood back to the camp.

They finally got settled and rested their tired feet. Jenna was making the leaves comfortable enough for her, the girls, and Buck to sleep on. She finally finished and sat between Rosalina and Roxanne.

The girls lifted their heads and said tiredly, "Hey, Jenna."

"Hi." Jenna replied. Suddenly, they saw Buck with dinosaur skulls.

"Oh, mercy. Get ready." Roxanne said warningly to Jenna.

"Hey! Who's you friend?" Buck made the skull on the right ask. Jenna knew the skull was addressing to her and smiled.

"She's anotha' lady I'm trying to bring back to the surface." Buck answered in his normal voice.

"She'll neva' survive." He made the skull on the left say. Jenna gasped a little.

"She will too because she's with us!" He snapped.

"That's right." Rosalina and Roxanne agreed, wrapping their arms around Jenna in a friendly manner.

"That's what you say, but she'll be eaten by Rudy fo' sure." The right skull said.

"Stop it! You're scaring her!" Buck snapped. Jenna was shaking a little, but knew he was joking and giggled nervously.

"That's not what your ugly wife said!" the skull on Buck's right foot said.

Buck's ears drooped and snapped "Shut up!"

"You shut up!" the skull snapped back. He started strangling his foot and threw it far away in the bushes. Jenna walked over to Buck and asked, "Where is your wife?"

Buck looked at her and said sadly, "She died."

She gasped softly and said, "I'm sorry. She must've been one happy weasel."

"Oh, no. She wasn't a weasel, she's a pineapple. An ugly pineapple, but I loved her." She saw Buck's half love struck and half heartbroken face and put a paw on his shoulder and corrected herself, "She must've been one happy pineapple."

Strangely, Buck didn't hear Jenna laugh when she said that and asked, "You don't think it's stupid that I was married to a fruit?"

"No. I think you may've suffered being alone and that's why you're talking to non-living things. I used to do that too. You're not the only one." Jenna explained softly. He looked up at her and smiled. She smiled back and helped him up.

Rosalina and Roxanne smiled at them and yelled to Buck, "Were going to find some food!"

Buck nodded and yelled back, "Be careful!"

"We will!" Rosalina yelled as they disappeared through the foliage.


	7. Chapter 7

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 7

Rosalina was thrilled to have the opportunity to ask Jenna to stay down here with them. Roxanne couldn't help but chuckle at her sister's enthusiasm and asked with a small giggle, "What are you excited about?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow." Rosalina answered.

After walking for miles, they found some fruit and Rosalina asked, "What would Jenna eat?"

"Strawberries. You know, her scent." Roxanne answered.

She nodded in agreement and tried to tug the giant strawberry off a vine and grunted, "A little help, please?" Roxanne got on top of it and helped Rosalina get the strawberry off the vine. After five tries, they finally got it off and took it back to the camp.

As soon as they got there, they saw that Buck and Jenna left. "Jenna!" Roxanne called.

"Buck!" Rosalina called.

"They must've gone to find something to eat." Roxanne guessed. Rosalina nodded in agreement and lounged on a stone beside her sister; waiting for Buck and Jenna to come back.

Buck and Jenna walked to a lake filled with fish. Buck smirked, "Watch this." He jumped into the water with his knife between his teeth and started to stab for a fish. Jenna watched him and saw some blood come from the surface.

"Buck!" Jenna called worriedly.

Suddenly, Buck popped out of the water, unharmed, and had the fish in his hand. Jenna sighed in relief and smiled, "Good job!"

"Thanks. This one was quite a fighter." He replied. He then remembered that Rosalina and Roxanne were looking for food too and said, "We better get back ta' the camp." Jenna nodded and followed behind Buck.

Rosalina and Roxanne waited for two hours until they saw Buck and Jenna come through the foliage with a fish in Buck's hand. They ran over to them and asked, "What took you guys so long?"

Buck and Jenna looked at each other and answered, "We went fishing."

"That explains the fish." Roxanne stated.

Then, Rosalina said to Jenna, "Oh! We didn't know if you wanted to eat a colossal strawberry, but we thought we would bring it here for you, me, and Roxanne to share."

"Are you kidding? I'd love to." Jenna smiled. Roxanne took Jenna's paw and ran towards the strawberry.

Jenna smiled and bit into the fruit. Rosalina looked at Roxanne and asked, "Are you going to eat the strawberry with us?"

"Nah. I'm going to eat fish tonight." Rosalina shrugged and continued to eat the fruit.

Roxanne ran over to Buck and asked, "Hi. Do you mind if I have some fish too?" Buck smiled and sliced a piece of fish for her. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He replied.

"So, where are we supposed to go tomorrow?" Roxanne asked as she bit into the fish.

"I don't know, to be honest. Wherever our path leads, I guess." Buck shrugged.

"While we were walking to find something to eat, I couldn't help but notice how excited Rosalina looked. Why's that?"

"Rosy told me she would tell ya' tomorrow." He answered.

"Okay." She replied and silently continued to eat her fish.

After they were done eating, it was late and the weasels sat down around the fire. Rosalina looked at Jenna and smiled, "We have a long day ahead of us, I'm going to go ahead and hit the sack. Goodnight guys."

"Goodnight." Roxanne and Jenna said. Roxanne smiled at Jenna and yawned, "I might as well get some sleep to. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite or crawl into your brain and lay eggs." Buck smirked. Roxanne chuckled as she walked away.

Jenna looked over at Buck and asked, "Aren't you going to go to bed too?"

"Nah. I'm going ta' keep watch."

"I really do think you need some rest."

"Lass, I'll be fine." Buck stated.

Jenna ran over to him and asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." He replied. Jenna's ears drooped and shrugged.

Rosalina got up from her sleeping area and ran over to Buck and Jenna. She smirked and started to tickle Buck. "You better go to bed." She growled playfully as she tickled his ribs. "L-lass, s-stop!" He laughed.

Jenna giggled at them as Rosalina continued to tickle him. "Not until you go to bed!" She laughed.

"A-a-all right, I'll g-g-go t-t-ta' b-bed!" Buck laughed. Rosalina released him and chuckled, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Rosalina." Jenna and Buck said as she went back to her sleeping spot.

Jenna chuckled, "I didn't know you were ticklish."

"I am, I admit it." He panted.

She sighed and said, "Well, I guess we need to hit the sack. Buck, at least try the leaf bed out."

"I will." He replied, assuring her.

They walked to their sleeping areas, and Jenna watched Buck; waiting for his response on the leaf bed. He sighed and said with a smile, "It feels comfy."

"Told ya'." She smirked. Buck went to sleep quickly; leaving Jenna amazed. _Wow! I make a better leaf bed than I thought._ She thought to herself.

She quietly said, "Goodnight, Buck."

Then, she looked at the sky and whispered, "Goodnight, mom. Goodnight, dad." She began to sing silently; being careful not to wake Buck and the girls. Suddenly, she heard a rustle and a male voice, "That was beautiful."

Jenna jumped and whispered, "Oh! Thank you. My parents used to sing this to me when I was a little kit."

Buck nodded and said, "My mom used to do the same befo' she died." She nodded knowingly.

Buck sighed, "My parents died from a saber attack while they told me to run back to our cave, but one of them blocked my way in and chased me to a thin patch of ice. That's how I got down here."

Jenna gasped softly and looked at him sadly. He asked finally, "Wot' about you? How did yours die? I mean, I hope I'm not standing in your personal boundary or anything."

Jenna laughed and giggled. "It's okay, I'll tell you." She sighed, "Well, where do I start?"

She cleared her throat and explained sadly, "My parents and I were walking through the valley until three saber-tooth tigers ambushed us. My dad and I made it out okay, but we found out, when I turned fifteen, that she didn't make it. My father was very devastated and died of grief. I knew then, that I had to continue to raise myself on my own." A tear rolled down her cheek when she finished. Buck's ears drooped and crawled over to her.

She looked at him and wiped the tear away. He looked at her and said softly, "It's okay ta' cry." She sobbed silently and buried her face into her paws. Buck wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders and shushed her quietly.

She stopped crying and jumped, "Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry I burst."

"It's all right. I was devastated when my wife died, and I still cry a little when I think about her." She looked at him and gave him a sad smile.

After a few minutes of silence, Jenna asked as she looked at the stars, "Life bites, doesn't it?"

Buck chuckled, "Yes, it does, but I love every minute of it." She smiled at him and looked at his girls.

"I see you like my girls."

"Yeah, Roxanne and I had gone off on the wrong foot when we met, but we're okay now. Rosalina liked me instantly." She grinned.

"Yep. They are sweethearts, once you get to know 'em." He smiled. They smiled at each other until they heard a roar in a distance.

"Buck?" Jenna called nervously. She saw him smirk and whisper, "Goodnight, Rudy."

"How did you know it was him?" she asked.

"He has a blood-curdling roar." He answered. She nodded and yawned, "I guess we better get some sleep."

"Yeah, I guess so. Goodnight, Jenny." He whispered as he settled back into the leaf bed.

"Goodnight." She whispered before looking up at the night sky and whisper sadly again, "Goodnight, mom. Goodnight, dad."

She settled back into her leaf bed and fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 8

A raindrop fell on Rosalina's nose and caused her to jolt up. She looked around at the other sleeping weasels around her then at the sky. She stretched her legs and crawled over to Roxanne and whispered, "I think it's going to rain soon. I suggest you get up and wake the others up too."

Rosalina felt another raindrop fall onto her nose and elbowed her sister, causing her to jolt up and yawned, "Morning already?" Rosalina nodded. Suddenly, they heard a loud thunderclap.

Jenna jolted up awake and yelped. Buck stretched and looked over at Jenna and yawned, "You make a pretty good bed, you know?" She smiled until she heard another thunderclap, causing her to yelp again.

Rosalina and Roxanne ran over to them and huddled closer to Jenna. Buck's eye traveled from looking at the she-weasels to the cloudy sky above them. He picked up his knife from the ground and said quickly, "Right. We need ta' get movin', and fast." The she-weasels nodded and huddled behind him.

They ran through the foliage as fast as they could. Buck heard the girls squealing as they ran through the rain. Jenna looked at the girls and laughed as she ran. "Having fun?" Buck yelled as the rain poured down harder. The girls and Jenna screamed as the rain wetted them to the bone.

Buck chuckled at the girls' enthusiasm as they continued to scream and laugh. The fun ended when a streak of lightning touched down on a tree and fell down. The she-weasels screamed as the tree nearly landed on them, but Buck was faster and pushed the she-weasels out of the way of the tree.

"This isn't fun anymore!" Roxanne yelled as she ran beside her sister and Jenna. They heard another loud thunderclap, causing the girls to scream.

Buck held onto Rosalina's and Roxanne's paw as they continued running through the rain. Jenna bee-line sprinted beside Rosalina and held her other paw. Rosalina gripped Jenna's paw as they ran.

"We're lost, aren't we?" Rosalina asked as she shivered at the coolness of the rain.

"Like I said, we'll follow the path until we find a certain area!" Buck yelled over to her.

Jenna was shivering nonstop and fell to the ground, coughing. Rosalina and Buck ran over to Jenna and helped her up. "We need to find a dry spot and fast!" Roxanne yelled. Buck nodded in agreement and looked around wildly as he tried to find a dry area for them to stay under.

Finally, he found a small cave and led the she-weasels underneath it. They huddled up against Buck as they shivered. Jenna had stopped coughing at sometime and gasped, "Buck."

Buck was wringing his wet body and spun around then looked at Jenna. He shook the rest of his wet self off and walked over to Jenna. "Buck, I-I f-feel d-dizzy." She stuttered as she shivered violently.

Buck's ears drooped and told her softly, "Sit down for a moment, Jenny." He helped her sit down and hugged her close to him. Jenna jumped at his action, but got used to it and passed out.

Rosalina and Roxanne smiled at them and huddled next to Jenna as they tried to keep themselves warm with their own body heat. "This is bad, isn't it?" Roxanne asked. They nodded in agreement and continued to huddle.

After waiting for four hours for the rain to end, they finally saw the first ray of sunshine peek out from behind a rain cloud.

They sighed in relief and told Jenna to wake up as they quickly got out of their small shelter. Rosalina and Jenna sighed through their noses as they enjoyed the warmth of the sun.

"Sunshine! Finally!" Roxanne cheered as she took in the warmth. Buck smiled at them as he tossed his knife in the air and caught it.

After taking in the sun's thermal energy, (A/N: Lol! I'm talking like a scientist.) the she-weasels turned around and waited for Buck to say something.

"All right, ladies. Now that the rain passed ova', we can keep on goin'. Let's go." He said as he started to walk away from them. The she-weasels sprinted behind him and looked at the raindrops on the trees and ferns as they walked.

"Jenna, are you okay now?" Rosalina asked her.

"Yes, ma'am. It was raining so hard, I guess I felt a little sick and dizzy. Thank goodness there was a dry place for us to stay in." Jenna sighed in relief.

Roxanne looked at Buck with a nervous look on her face and asked, "Are you sure we're not lost?"

"I'm pretty sure. We'll run into a dangerous area soon. I guarantee it." He answered with a positive smile on his face. She felt reassured when he smiled and smiled back.

"Buck, thanks so much for keeping me warm. That was nice of you." Jenna blushed. He saw her blush and chuckled, "No problem."

"Hey, what about us?" Rosalina and Roxanne asked. Jenna giggled and said, "Thank you for keeping me warm too, girls." They smiled at her and walked hand-in-hand.

Jenna looked up at the sky and asked, "Buck? Have you ever thought of going back up in the surface?"

He turned around and sighed, "Not really. I like it here than up there. It's too cold fo' me." He then remembered the herd that came down here and smiled at the memories when they came down to his world looking for their friend.

"What?" Jenna asked as she saw him smile. He snapped out of his train of thought and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about the good times I had with the herd."

Jenna really wanted to meet this 'herd'. "Do you think that you can take me to see them? I would like finally get to meet them." She asked.

Rosalina and Roxanne heard Jenna talk about the herd and got excited. They ran towards Buck and asked, jumping up and down, "Oh, please? Can we please meet the herd you met before us? Oh! Please, please, please?"

Buck looked at their excited faces. He just couldn't resist and chuckled, "All right. We'll meet them. I'm warning you, they are a weird bunch."

The girls squealed happily and said grinned, "Thank you so much! We always wanted to see what they looked like." He smiled then got serious again, "All right, madams. We need to get Jenny home, but I promise we'll visit the herd, okay?"

The she-weasels nodded and followed behind Buck.

"I can't wait to see them. I wonder if their nice." Rosalina said, excited.

"I know! I wonder if they have a little kid." Jenna smiled. Roxanne chuckled at Jenna's love for kids and laughed, "I wonder if one of them is mischievous." The thought of finally meeting the herd made the she-weasels very excited.

Buck couldn't help but smile at the she-weasels' enthusiasm. _It won't be so bad, I guess. I get ta' meet Manny, Ellie, Sid, tiga', the possums, and the little lass again. Wot' could possibly go wrong_. He thought with a small smile forming on his lips.

Rosalina heard a blood-curdling roar from a distance and froze. Jenna and Roxanne exchanged worried glances and whispered, "Rudy."

"Now ya' got it." Buck smirked.

"Let me guess. When we reach the entrance cave, we'll probably have to fight him, right?" Jenna predicted nervously.

"Ya' neva' know, lass. I'm pretty sure that we will, but like I said, ya' neva' know." He answered. She nodded and thought good thoughts.

"If we end up on a dead end, you're in trouble." Roxanne smirked at Buck.

"No worries, lass. If we do though, remind me ta' run." Buck said as he half-smiled. Roxanne chuckled evilly as she continued walking.

Rosalina always hated it when her sister did her signature evil chuckle and shuddered. "Are you okay?"

Jenna asked. "Yeah. I just shuddered when Roxanne did her evil chuckle and it crept me out." She shuddered. Jenna held back a laugh with a small giggle as she shook her head.

Roxanne tripped over a rock and yelped. They turned around and saw Roxanne on the ground. Rosalina and Jenna ran to her and helped her up. "Are you all right, lass?" Buck asked as he dusted her arms off.

"I'm fine. I just tripped." She sighed.

As they continued walking, Rosalina smirked, "And you thought I was clumsy."

"Shut up." Roxanne giggled as she gave her sister a playful shove.

Jenna growled, "Ugh! Fly."

Buck chuckled, "I think it likes your scent."

"Ha! You think?" Jenna asked sarcastically as she swatted at the pesky fly as it continued to fly around her. Rosalina covered her laugh with her paw until the fly landed on her nose. She waited patiently for the fly to get comfortable and smacked the fly and her own nose hard with a yelp.

Roxanne, Jenna, and Buck started laughing as soon as she smacked her nose. Rosalina flicked the dead bug off her nose and yelped, "What?"

"You smacked your own nose!" Roxanne laughed with a tear in her eye.

"That was so funny, Rosalina! Thank you for taking care of that fly for me." Jenna laughed.

"Did that hurt?" Buck asked as he laughed. Rosalina started laughing along with them shortly after two minutes of silence.

They soon caught their breaths and sighed. "Phew! Alright, gals, let's get goin'." Buck panted as he still tried to catch his breath.

"Yes, sir!" Rosalina, Roxanne, and Jenna saluted, causing Buck to chuckle yet again. He remembered his possum friends doing that before riding on a pterodactyl through Lava Falls to save their sloth friend, Sid. He shook the memory out of his head and kept his eye on the trail.

"Are we there yet?" Roxanne asked childishly.

"Nope." Buck answered as they walked through the ferns.

"Are we there yet?" Roxanne asked again.

"No." Buck stated as they walked beside a small stream.

"Are we there yet?" Roxanne asked yet again.

"No, Roxy." Buck said, annoyed as they walked through a rough drought.

Roxanne continued to ask 'Are we there yet?' as they continued walking. Buck was getting really annoyed by this and tried his best not to loose his cool. "Are we there yet?" Roxanne asked, yet again. Jenna mouthed to Buck,_ I'll handle this one._ Buck smiled gratefully and thought,_ Maybe now I won't have ta' hear her ask that fo' the rest of the day._

"Roxanne, please be a little more patient. I know it's been a long walk, but just hang in there." Jenna said calmly. Roxanne asked tiredly, "Are we there yet?" Rosalina smirked and said, "Yes."

"Really?" Roxanne asked hopefully.

"No!" Rosalina snapped as she tried to control her now on-going migraine. Roxanne jumped at her voice and muttered, "Fine. I'll quit asking."

They sighed in relief and sighed, "Thank you."

Buck saw Rosalina with her right paw on her head and asked, "Are you all right, Rosy?"

"Yea. I just have a migraine from Roxanne. Oh, my head." She groaned. Buck nodded in agreement and whispered, "Me, too."

Rosalina looked at him with tired eyes and said as she collapsed to the ground, "I think I need to sit down for a minute." Buck helped her up and walked her over to a stone for her to sit on.

"We'll take a break and then get movin' again." The she-weasels nodded and sat down on the stone with Rosalina.

Jenna massaged her tired feet and realized Rosalina looked like she was going to faint. She asked, "Rosalina, are you okay." Rosalina passed out on the stone with her right paw still on her head.

"Um, Buck." Buck turned his head and saw Rosalina asleep on the stone. He walked over to her and gently lifted her body off the stone and held her.

"She must be really tired." Roxanne whispered as she saw her sleeping sister in Buck's arms. Their break lasted for fifteen minutes and Rosalina still didn't wake up. Buck carefully got up and got his knife off the ground then picked up Rosalina off of the stone. He said quietly, "All right. Follow me." The she-weasels nodded and followed behind Buck.

Rosalina stirred and weakly opened her eyes and gasped, "Did I pass out?" Buck jumped and smiled, "You're awake. We're almost there. I can smell danger around the corner." She nodded tiredly and jumped out of his arms.

"Hey! You're awake. Are you feeling okay?" Jenna asked as she smiled.

"Yeah. My migraine went away while I was out of it." Rosalina chuckled.

"Hey! You're alive!" Roxanne grinned as she gave her sister an arm-around-shoulders-hug. She retuned the hug and smirked, "That's because you gave me a migraine." Roxanne gave her sister a playful shove and embraced her again.

Buck chuckled at her statement and said, "Glad your feeling betta'."

"Me, too." Rosalina smiled. Jenna tripped over her tail and stumbled. Roxanne grabbed her arm to keep her from falling forward. "Thanks." She sighed.

"No problem." Roxanne said as she released her arm.

They walked for forty minutes until they saw a geyser field. "Whoa!" Rosalina, Roxanne, and Jenna exclaimed silently.

Buck stared at the field for a brief moment then said, "All right. Follow me and be careful not ta' go anywhere near the geysers or you'll be toast." The she-weasels obeyed and followed him through the geyser field.

One of the geysers behind Rosalina shot out hot water, causing her to scream and run beside Buck. Then, two more geysers erupted. "RUN!" Buck screamed as they ran through the geyser field with the geysers behind them erupted.

Rosalina and Jenna dodged one of the geysers in between them with a scream. Buck grabbed their paws and they ran as fast as their legs could take them.

Roxanne screamed when four geysers erupted and she fell to the ground; blinded by the heat of the geysers. She could barely hear Buck, Jenna, and Rosalina's calls for her to get up. She looked around lazily as she looked at them before having flashbacks in her head.

_You and your stupid sister were accidents!_ A harsh voice yelled in her head. She knew who's voice that belonged to: Tim. She gasped softly and continued to hear the rest of her flashbacks from her and her sister's past. _You're nothing but mucus in my life! Why don't you go somewhere else and sing like a talentless seal you are, Rosalina!_

"Sis! Please! Get up!" Rosalina screamed.

"Roxanne! Can you hear us?" Jenna screamed.

"Get up, lass!" Buck yelled.

Roxanne was still in her train of thought as she continued to hear the voices in her head. This time, the voice was feminine._ I'm going somewhere far away from a certain sister who doesn't appreciate anything I do for her! _Then she heard the feminine voice scream,_ Stop, Roxanne! Please!_ Roxanne's eyesight and her hearing became clear again.

"Roxanne get up!" Rosaline screamed. Roxanne heard her this time and started to whimper and ran the other way. Rosalina pushed her in the right direction and grunted, "This way."

The weasels ran through the geyser fields again and dodged every geyser that erupted.

"For your sake, you better hope we don't die!" Jenna screamed at Buck.

"Trust me, lass. We'll make it. I promise!" He screamed back. Suddenly, a geyser erupted in front of them, causing them to scream and bee-line sprint out of the way.

Rosalina panted as she tried to keep running as fast as her little legs could carry her. The smoke from the geysers was too much for her as she started coughing. Roxanne caught her sister as she started to fall. "Buck! Jenna! Rosalina's down!" She screamed.

Buck and Jenna ran over to them and gave each other worried and scared looks. Rosalina started coughing again as Buck lifted her into his arms and yelled, "We got to get out of here!" They nodded in agreement and ran as fast as they could through the geyser field.


	9. Chapter 9

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 9

Buck, Roxanne, and Jenna panted as they continued to run through the geyser field. Buck whispered to Rosalina's unconscious body, "We're almost out, Rosy. Hang in there." She weakly wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest; trying to keep the smoke away from her face.

Jenna and Roxanne looked worriedly at Buck then screamed when two geysers erupted but dodged them. They squinted their eyes and saw the other side of the jungle and ran faster.

They bee-line sprinted through the geyser field and tried not to go unconscious. Roxanne screamed, "I see the other side!"

"So do I!" Buck and Jenna screamed back as they saw the jungle a lot clearer.

At last, they finally made it out. Buck gently laid Rosalina down on the ground and whispered, "Come on, Rosy. Please wake up." Rosalina slowly opened her eyes and breathed through her mouth as she tried to bring in more oxygen to her lungs.

"That's it, Rosalina. Just keep breathing the air." Roxanne encouraged softly as she lifted the back of her sister's head with her paw.

Rosalina slowly sat up and coughed, "Buck, what just happened?" Buck hugged her gently and said, "You fell unconscious from the smoke and I had ta' carry you while we ran. Thank goodness you're all right." Rosalina returned the hug and smiled.

"Oh, come here guys. Group hug." Roxanne smiled as she wrapped her arms around Buck, Jenna, and Rosalina. They retuned the hug then pulled away. Buck smiled, "Wot do ya' say, we get away from this 'Death Field'?" The she-weasels laughed and walked alongside Buck.

As they walked, Rosalina ran over to Buck and whispered in his ear, "Can I ask Jenna, now?" Buck nodded his head 'yes' and smiled. She grinned and whispered to Roxanne, "We get to ask Jenna if she wants to stay down here with us." Roxanne's hazel eyes widened and jumped up and down. They strutted beside Jenna and wrapped their arms around her shoulders.

Buck gave his girls a one-eyed wink then turned his head back around. Rosalina and Roxanne nodded and Rosalina smiled at Jenna, "So, Jenna, how do you think it would be if **you** stayed down here with us." She nodded at Roxanne.

Roxanne spoke up, "Yeah. We know a dinosaur that has three cute little baby dinosaurs that you can baby-sit."

Jenna gasped, "Really? I'll think about it, but until then, I at least want to see the surface one last time."

Rosalina and Roxanne squealed and ran over to Buck. He asked, "Well? Wot did she say?"

"She said she'll think about it, but she just wants to see the surface one last time. I bet I know what that means." Rosalina grinned excitedly.

"Are we still going to see the herd?" Roxanne asked hopefully.

"Yep. We still are. At least I get ta' see my first visitors again." He smiled. Roxanne did a small dance, causing Buck, Jenna, and Rosalina to snicker.

They were halfway to the entrance cave when Rosalina plucked a purple flower into Jenna's hair. "Oh! Thank you. It's pretty." Jenna beamed as she looked at the flower.

"You're welcome." Rosalina grinned as she walked in between Buck and Roxanne.

"Why does the Jungle of Misery have to be filled with flowers even though it's dangerous?" Roxanne asked as she looked at all the purple and orange flowers around them. Buck shrugged and said, "I don't know. Probably trying ta' fool innocent creatures by not showing any signs of danger until they see something that caught their eye and get killed." Roxanne nodded in agreement and hummed a small tune.

Rosalina and Jenna walked beside Buck and walked arm-in-arm. Jenna whispered to Buck, "You planned to tell Rosalina and Roxanne to ask me to stay down here, didn't you?"

Buck smirked mischievously, "Maybe."

Jenna laughed silently and asked, "You did, didn't you?"

Buck smirked again, "Yes."

Jenna beamed at him and asked, "Did they tell the truth about a momma dinosaur and three baby dinosaurs?" Buck remembered her love for kids and chuckled, "Yes. Last time I saw her was when she saved Sid before Rudy could eat him and pushed him off a cliff."

"Do you think she'll let me baby-sit them someday?" Jenna asked hopefully.

"Yeah. Tell ya' wot, if you stay down here with us, I'll call Momma ova' and get her to know you." Buck smiled.

"I would love that so much! Thank you. I just want to see the surface one last time before I stay down here." Jenna said softly.

"Not a problem at all. I still promised you and my girls that we would go up there and visit the herd." Buck said with a hint of excitement in his voice. Jenna smiled and sighed through her nose.

They approached the entrance cave and Buck stopped at the side of it and curtseyed, "Madams." Jenna, Rosalina, and Roxanne chuckled as they played along, "Thank you, sir." Buck chuckled but stopped as he saw a pair of red eyes form. The she-weasels screamed and ran behind Buck. He stood in front of them protectively and smirked, "Hello, Rudy."

The she-weasels whimpered as Rudy crawled out of the cave and let out a blood-curdling roar. "RUN!" Buck screamed as he and the she-weasels ran. Rosalina stopped running and jumped onto Rudy's snout and screamed in a threatening tone, "You better not mess with us!"

Rudy snorted angrily and began to shake his head. Rosalina held on tight and screamed, "Buck, get some vines! I'll distract him!"

Buck nodded and searched for some vines. "Looking for some vines?"

Jenna asked as she found some very long vines.

"Thanks, lass." Buck panted.

"Don't mention it." She replied.

Rudy was getting antsy as he still tried to shake Rosalina off of his snout. Rosalina held on for dear life as she screamed. Finally, Buck flung himself into the air and tied up Rudy's snout also grabbing Rosalina in the process. Roxanne was throwing sharp rocks at Rudy's thigh as Buck continued to tie him down. Jenna only watched in awe as Buck finally tied Rudy from head to toe and saw Rudy collapse to the ground with a loud thud.

Roxanne and Jenna ran to Buck and Rosalina and exclaimed, "That was awesome!" Buck smiled and patted his rival's snout, "Betta' luck next time, snowflake. This isn't gonna hold him long. Let's get up to the surface and fast."

The she-weasels nodded and ran after Buck inside the cave. "Follow me." Buck told them quietly. They obeyed and followed him through another passageway to the surface. Buck felt around a cold rock wall and tried to get it to break.

"Allow me." Rosalina said as she walked up to the wall and kicked the wall hard, causing the wall to break instantly.

Roxanne, Jenna, and Buck looked at her in awe. Rosalina beamed, "I guess I didn't know my own strength." Buck and Roxanne asked, "How did you learn to kick so hard?"

"I don't know." Rosalina shrugged. They calmed down and crawled through the hole to the Ice Age world.

Jenna, Rosalina, and Roxanne crawled out with no problem at all except Buck, whose pelt got stuck. Jenna and the twins chuckled at this and grabbed both of his arms as they helped him. Finally, they got him out and helped him up.

He dusted his fur and yelped as he felt a cold breeze sweep over him, "AUGH! Cold, cold, cold!" the she-weasels laughed and huddled closer to Buck as they walked out of the ice-cold cave. They squinted their eyes as the light got brighter.

"Wow!" The she-weasels exclaimed as they saw all the snow surrounding them.

After they took in the scenery, Buck smiled, "All right, let's go." Rosalina and Roxanne used their tongues to catch the small snowflakes that started to fall. Buck laughed and decided to do it too. He had forgotten what it was like when he used to live up here, but he shook it off and enjoyed the snowy weather.

They made it to the valley and saw all the strange creatures surrounding them. Rosalina saw someone that she hoped she would never see again. It was Tim. Rosalina looked like she was going to puke at any second and whimpered, "B-buck!" Buck looked at what Rosalina was pointing at and saw a cream-colored male weasel with brown and red eyes walking along the valley.

Roxanne whimpered, "That's our step-dad." Buck gasped and held the twins protectively. Jenna saw Tim coming this way and hid Rosalina and Roxanne behind her.

Tim saw a she-weasel, a male weasel with an eye patch with a knife in his hand, and two familiar faces behind them, Rosalina and Roxanne. He strutted towards them and smiled, "You found my girls. Thank you."

"Don't call us your girls, liar!" Rosalina yelped in fear.

"You're their step-dad?" Jenna asked with a hint of anger in her voice.

"Why yes I am." Tim fake-smiled. She stomped towards him and slapped him across the face, causing Buck and the twins to gasp.

"How dare you hit your own kids, you sick man!" Jenna screamed. Tim growled and slapped Jenna across the face. Jenna yelped and fell to the ground. Buck slashed Tim's arm with his knife and growled lowly, "Don't you eva' touch them again. Eva'!" Tim grasped his bleeding arm and watched as Buck, Rosalina, Roxanne, and Jenna walk away.

"Are you all right?" Buck asked as he gently rubbed his thumb over the area Tim had hit Jenna. Jenna blushed hard and said, "I'll be okay." Rosalina sobbed softly, "Jenna, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, sweetie." Jenna said softly as she rubbed Rosalina's back comfortingly. Roxanne growled angrily, "That's why we stayed with Buck."

They finally reached a playground and saw the herd there. "Aye! Mind if we join ya'?" Buck yelled. "Buck!" Manny, Sid, Diego, Crash, Eddie, and Ellie exclaimed.

The weasels ran to them and shyly stood behind Buck. "Buck! Our man!" Eddie exclaimed as him and Crash tackled him to the ground. "All right, let me up." Buck chuckled.

"Who're your friends?" Ellie asked as she saw the she-weasels behind him. Buck's eye widened and said, "Oh! Mammals, this is Rosalina." Rosalina walked towards them and waved shyly.

"This is Roxanne." He smiled as she walked beside her sister and said shyly, "Nice to finally meet you." Buck brought Jenna from behind him and said with a smile, "And this is Jenna." She walked and stood between the twins and beamed, "Buck told me all about you guys."

Sid was the first to walk up to them and introduce himself with his almost noticable lisp, "Hi! I'm Sid."

"Hi, Sid." The she-weasels smiled shyly.

"I'm Ellie. These are my brothers, Crash and Eddie." Ellie smiled as she pointed at the possums.

"This is my husband, Manny." She smiled as she placed her trunk on Manny's tusk. He smiled affectionately at her and smiled, "And this is our daughter, Peaches. Hey, Peaches, come here."

Suddenly, a baby mammoth calf came from behind Ellie and said in her baby voice, "Hi!"

"AW!" Jenna, Rosalina, and Roxanne fussed as soon as they saw her.

"She's so cute!" Rosalina cooed as she gave Peaches a hug.

"I'm Diego." Diego introduced himself; trying to get them to pay attention. They waved shyly at them and beamed.

"How's your cat nap going, tiga'?" Buck teased.

"Good ole' Buck." Diego replied.

Peaches saw Buck and slowly walked towards him and asked, "Buck?" He jumped as she gently touched his eye patch with her trunk. Peaches' eyes widened and squealed happily, "Buck!" She wrapped her trunk around his waist and gave him a hug. Buck patted her forehead and asked, "How are you, fruity?"

"Did you guys run into any trouble before you got here?" Manny asked them.

"Well, we ran into Rudy. Then, we ran into Rosalina and Roxanne's step-fatha'." Buck growled angrily when he mentioned Tim. Rosalina was on a verge of tears as she whimpered, "He abused me when Roxanne and I lived with him, and we stayed with Buck when we found him."

"He slapped Jenna when she slapped him and yelled at him because we told her how we got down there with Buck. I hope Jenna doesn't have a bruise on her cheek." Roxanne said sadly as she tried to hold back the tears.

The herd gasped except Peaches, who didn't know why they did. "Oh, you poor girls. You are so lucky you found Buck. He would never do that to you." Ellie frowned as she gently wrapped her trunk around Rosalina and Roxanne. They returned the hug and pulled out of it.

"Wow! I'm so sorry you girls had to go through that." Sid said softly. Rosalina ran over to him and hugged him. He retuned the hug and said to Buck, "Your girls are so beautiful and nice. Good choice, Buck."

Rosalina and Roxanne blushed when he said that they were beautiful and smiled, "Thank you, Sid." Buck smiled at the sloth and wrapped his arms around their shoulders and said, "They are beautiful." Rosalina and Roxanne blushed harder and smiled.

"Hey, Buck! Come look at this." Jenna yelled as she stood underneath an ice mobile with three mammoth shapes, a sloth shape, tiger shape, two possum shapes, and a weasel shape with an eye patch over its eye with a knife in its hand. Buck took the twins' paws as they walked towards the mobile.

"Is that me?" Buck asked as he saw the weasel dangling on the bottom of the ice mobile.

Ellie came behind him and lifted him up for him to have a closer look. He held the figure close and started to tear up. Rosalina, Roxanne, and Jenna jumped onto Ellie's tusk and looked at the figure. "Thank you." Buck whispered as tears fell out of his eye.

"You'll always be a part of this family, Buck." Ellie smiled. Jenna wiped the tears off of Buck's cheek then blushed, "Sorry."

"It's fine, lass." He replied.

Manny smiled, "And, any friend of Buck's is a friend of mine." Jenna, Rosalina, and Roxanne smiled. "Hey, you and Jenna would make a cute couple." Ellie beamed at them. They blushed blood red and Roxanne smirked, "That's what I said. I told Rosalina that, but she said they should just be best friends for now. Buck and Jenna said that it was too soon."

"Want to be my best friend?" Peaches asked Rosalina and Roxanne.

"AW! Sure we do! You're so cute, I just couldn't resist." Rosalina beamed. Roxanne rubbed Peaches' head and giggled, "That's a yes for me."

"Yay!" Peaches giggled as she hugged the weasel twins with her small trunk. The herd smiled at them as they hugged.

The cute moment ended when Tim limped by, causing Roxanne to whimper and hide behind Buck and Jenna. "I'm tired of hiding and giving up to you, Tim! This time, it's time for you to have a taste of your own medicine!" Rosalina snapped.

She ran towards him, jumped into the air, and kicked him on the jaw, causing Tim to double take backwards. The herd gasped after she kicked him. Tim grunted then pushed Rosalina down. Rosalina kicked him on the abdomen and jumped back up to her feet. Tim grasped his stomach in pain and grunted when Rosalina punched him in the face. "You like that, huh? Now you know how I feel when you beat me!" She screamed as she kicked him on the side.

Peaches started to bawl and hid behind her parents as Rosalina continued to kick Tim's tail. Buck and Jenna were frozen in place and stared in shock. The herd was shocked as they continued to watch the fight. Crash and Eddie were cheering her on while the fight continued.

"This is for killing our mom!" Rosalina screamed as she kicked him hard on the side, causing Tim to cough up a small amount of blood.

"This is for making our lives miserable!" She screamed as she lifted Tim up and clawed his face. Rosalina looked at Tim's bloody face with a cold glare and continued to torture him more.

"This is for slapping Jenna!" She yelled as she punched Tim on the nose.

"R-r-Rosalina p-please s-s-stop!" Tim wheezed.

"You think I'm going to stop? You deserve this, you jerk! This is for ruining our lives!" Rosalina screamed when she slapped him hard on the cheek, causing Tim to fall to the ground.

The herd was very amazed especially Buck, Jenna, and Roxanne. They didn't know she was very coordinated and could stand up to her rivals. They continued to watch in amazement while Roxanne covered Peaches' eyes with her paws.

"Never. Come. Near. Us. Again." Rosalina growled before kicking him on the side one last time and watching Tim scurry away; leaving a trail of blood behind him.

"Rosalina, that was awesome!" Crash whooped as he high-fived his brother. "Yeah, you go, girl!" Eddie whooped. Rosalina suddenly grew weak and felt her legs shake as she fell to the ground. "Rosy!" Buck screamed as Jenna and Roxanne ran behind him.

The herd crowded behind them as they watched in fear. "Rosy, are you all right?" Buck asked as he lifted the back of her head with his paw. Jenna and Roxanne held either of her paws as they hoped that she would wake up.

Rosalina felt reborn. She never thought that she would have enough courage to stand up to Tim. Now that she fought Tim, she felt like she had the courage.

She finally slowly lifted her head up, "Wow! What did I just do?"

"You kicked Tim's tail!" Roxanne exclaimed as she hugged her sister tight.

"Rosalina, that was the bravest thing I have eva' seen. I am very proud of you." Buck smiled as he hugged his teenaged daughter close.

"You stood up to him, Rosalina. That was very heroic." Jenna beamed as she hugged her.

"You really showed him whose boss. Nice job, Rosalina." Diego smiled as he patted her shoulder with his paw.

"Beautiful, nice, and tough. You have really impressed me already." Sid grinned as he gave her a hug.

"Wow, Rosalina! That was amazing!" Manny exclaimed as he high-fived her with his trunk.

"You go, girl! We like you already!" Eddie exclaimed as he high-fived Rosalina.

"You're like the female version of Buck, just with a different fur color and you have your two eyes, and ect." Crash grinned as he did the same as his brother.

"How did you learn how to fight like that?" Ellie asked her.

"My mom taught me." Rosalina answered.

"Like I always say, 'Like mother, like daughter.'" Jenna smiled.

"That's right, Jen." Ellie nodded her head in agreement.

"It looks like it's going to storm anytime soon. We better go home." Manny said as the snow began to fall a little harder.

"I guess we'll have to stay with you guys until it ends." Jenna shrugged.

"Buck, do you think we can stay here at least until the blizzard lightens up?" Rosalina asked.

"All right, just to wait fo' the blizzard ta' clear up." Buck agreed.

Ellie picked up Rosalina and Roxanne and placed them on her back with Crash and Eddie. Manny picked up Jenna and placed her on one of his tusks. Buck leapt onto Manny's right tusk and rubbed his shoulders as the temperature was getting colder. Manny saw this and lifted him and Jenna onto his back with Sid.

"Do your girls have any kind of talent?" Sid asked Buck as the herd walked back to their cave. Rosalina heard this and jumped onto Manny's back and said shyly, "I can sing."

Sid was taken aback and asked, "Manny, do you mind if Rosalina sings for us?"

Ellie's eyes widened and asked, "You can sing?" Rosalina nodded and Ellie gave Manny a nod. Manny looked up at Rosalina and said, "Let's hear it."

"Get ready. Rosalina is a very wonderful singer. I'm sure Roxanne is, too." Jenna told Sid. Rosalina cleared her throat and sang.

_I've been looking in the mirror for so long,_

_That I've come to believe that my soul's on the other side._

_All the little pieces falling, shatter._

_Shards of me, too sharp to put back together._

_Too small to matter, but big enough to cut me into so many little pieces._

_If I try to touch her, and I bleed. _

_I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe no more._

Manny was always annoyed when Sid starts to sing, but he has never heard anything so beautiful when she sang. Ellie, Crash, and Eddie smiled. Sid had a tear in his eye and whispered to Buck, "She's a beautiful singer."

"I know. Roxanne, why don't you join her?" Buck insisted.

"Nah. I'm good." Roxanne rejected and continued to listen to Rosalina sing.

_Take a breath as I try to draw from my spirit's well._

_Yet again, you refuse to drink like a stubborn child._

_Lie to me. Convince me that I've been sick forever. _

_And all of this, will make since when I get better._

_But I know the difference between myself and my reflection. _

_I just can't help but to wonder. Which of us do you love?_

_So I bleed, I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe, now._

_Bleed! I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe, I breathe, I breathe no more._

The herd applauded them and Buck said, "Told ya'."

"Her voice sounded so beautiful." Ellie sighed as she beamed at Rosalina.

"I have never heard something so beautiful in my life. Probably because I have to hear Sid sing, and it gives me a migraine." Manny smiled.

"Hey!" Sid snapped, causing the herd to laugh except Peaches, who fell asleep in Ellie's trunk when the girl sang.

They finally made it to the herd's cave before the snow storm could get any worse. "Go ahead and make yourselves feel at home." Ellie told the weasels before putting down her sleeping daughter.

"So, Buck, have you been fighting Rudy a lot?" Diego asked him as he settled down on a rock.

"Yeah, if all of you came back down there, you'll see scars on his muzzle where Rosy scratched him. Sometimes, we ride him just fo' the fun." Buck smiled. Rosalina and Roxanne stood beside him and smiled. A yawn escaped Rosalina's throat. Buck smiled and put a paw on her shoulder, "Guess you need ta' get some shut-eye, lass?" She nodded and walked tiredly to find a sleeping spot to rest on.

Ellie whispered to her, "Rosalina, why don't you sleep next to Peaches tonight." Rosalina smiled and said, "Thanks, Ellie."

"No problem, sweetie." She beamed. Rosalina walked towards Ellie and Peaches and snuggled into Peaches' fuzzy fur. Ellie wrapped her trunk around both of them and whispered, "Goodnight."

Roxanne's ears jerked behind her head as she heard Crash and Eddie snoring and walked over to Ellie and started to snuggle into the fur. She opened her eyes and wrapped her trunk around Roxanne's waist and placed her beside her sleeping sister and Peaches. "Thanks, Ellie." Roxanne whispered as she snuggled into Rosalina and Peaches's fur.

Jenna smiled and walked over to Buck. She whispered, "Buck, look at your girls and Peaches." Buck turned around and saw Ellie, Peaches, Rosalina, and Roxanne asleep. Rosalina and Roxanne snuggled up next to each other and Peaches with Ellie's trunk around the three of them. A sweet smile played on his lips when he saw this and walked towards them. He kissed both of their foreheads and whispered, "Goodnight, Rosy and Roxy." Jenna walked towards them and did the same.

Buck looked at her and smiled, "Guess your motherly instincts kicked in, huh?" Jenna laughed silently and shrugged, "I guess so."

"Goodnight, everybody!" Manny said quietly as he slept beside Ellie and wrapped his trunk around hers, Sid fell asleep on a rock in an awkward position, causing Jenna and Buck to snicker quietly. Diego, Crash, and Eddie were already asleep, leaving only two weasels awake.

Jenna looked over at Buck, who looked like he was homesick. She walked over to him near the cave's entrance and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Buck jumped and whispered, "I miss my Jurassic home already."

"I know, but we'll go home tomorrow." Jenna reassured him as she softly squeezed his shoulder. She turned her body to leave, but Buck caught her wrist and gently pulled her back towards him.

Jenna blushed and asked, "What is it?"

Buck smiled, "I think that we should at least have a snow day tomorrow instead then leave the next day. We'll spend some time with the herd and my girls." She beamed at him and nodded in agreement.

"That sounds great! What are you planning on doing tomorrow?" Jenna asked him.

Buck thought for a moment before he gasped, "We could go sledding on a slope, let the girls play with fruity in the snow, snowball fights. You know, the typical way you would enjoy the snow."

She smiled at him and agreed, "I think that's a great plan."

"Then, it's settled. I'll let you get some shut-eye now." He whispered before laying his head down on a small stone.

Jenna sighed through her nose as she took in the cold air. Suddenly, a pair of cream-colored paws grabbed her wrists, causing her to scream, but was muffled when the right paw cover her mouth. The figure grabbed a leaf and a sharp stick and wrote,_ "I got your girl, Buck. If you want her back, hand over my girls, or I slit the woman's throat!"_ He placed it near Buck's sleeping form and ran out of the herd's cave.

The figure took Jenna and wrapped another leaf over her mouth, gagging her, and threw her over his shoulder.


	10. Chapter 10

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 10

Jenna's eyes fluttered open and looked around. She gasped when she realized that her paws and feet were tied and she was gagged. "Buck! Rosalina! Roxanne! Ellie! Manny! Diego! Sid! Possums! Anybody!" Jenna called through her leaf gag.

Tim chuckled evilly at her calls and walked towards her. She gasped and started to whimper. "Did you have a nice sleep?" Tim asked her sarcastically. Jenna whimpered in fear and started to scream. Tim slapped her across the face and snapped, "Shut up, unless you want me to kill you!" A small tear rolled down her cheek as she glared at him.

Tim let himself calm down and explained, "The reason why you're in my cave is because your boyfriend had my girls and slashed my arm before I could lay a finger on them. I'm holding you hostage until I get my girls back. Now, I'm going to take the gag off as long as you don't scream." Jenna nodded and waited for Tim to remove her gag.

He took off the gag and waited for her response. Jenna breathed in the air then said, "Buck's not my boyfriend, he's just my best friend."

Tim chuckled, "Sure he is." She glared at him and hissed a little. Tim raised a threatening paw in the air. Jenna's ears drooped and flinched, getting ready to get slapped. However, he lowered his paw and whispered in Jenna's ear, "Don't try to threaten me, girl."

Jenna had a plan that would hopefully work. She asked Tim, "Hey, do you think you can untie these vines on me?"

"What makes you think that I'll just let you go that easily?" Tim chuckled evilly. She shuddered and said. "If you let me go, I'll take you to Rosalina and Roxanne." Tim looked at her suspiciously and rose and eyebrow, "Really?"

"Sure." Jenna answered "sweetly".

"All right, but no tricks." Tim told her sternly.

"You have my word." Jenna lied as he began to tear off the vines around her paws and feet.

The herd crowded around Rosalina, Roxanne, and Buck as they read the leaf note that said, _I got your girl, Buck. If you want her back, give me my girls, or I'll slit her throat._ Rosalina sobbed, "Tim took Jenna." Buck's ears drooped and sighed sadly, "He'll kill Jenny if I don't return you to your step-fatha'. Wot' am I gonna do?"

Roxanne snapped her finger and explained, "I know! Buck, you pretend to give us to him. Then, Rosalina, you kick his sorry tail. Manny and Ellie, cover your cute daughter's eyes while the fight's going on. Crash and Eddie, cheer Rosalina on as she continues fighting Tim. Buck will rescue Jenna. What do you say?"

The herd, including Buck and Rosalina stared at her. Buck thought it over then said, "That might actually work, Roxy."

"I like the idea of me kicking his butt. I agree." Rosalina agreed.

"We got a weasel to save!" Diego said as he waited for the rest of the herd by the cave entrance. The herd and weasels walked out of the cave; hoping they would find Jenna.

Tim kept his eye on Jenna to make sure she doesn't run away. Jenna smirked a little and said, "If you think I'm going to run away, don't worry, I won't." _Wow, she's good?_ Tim thought as he stopped staring at her. This was Jenna's chance to get her out of this. She kicked him in the shin, causing Tim to grunt in pain as he fell down. Jenna sprinted through the valley frantically.

Tim growled and ran after her, not caring about the pain in his shin. He finally caught Jenna and tackled her to the ground, causing the other creatures to look at them. Jenna tried to squirm out of his grasp, but it was no use, Tim had already caught her. Tim slapped her in the face. She screamed out in pain and whimpered.

She kicked him hard on the stomach and got up, causing him to scream in pain and punch her in the face. Jenna fell to the ground, unconscious. Tim chuckled evilly and lifted her body from the ground and looked at the villagers with a threatening growl, "If you tell the herd or her boyfriend, you'll be next."

One of the aardvarks knew her and snapped, "You kidnapped Jenna? Someone should throw you in the tar pits!" Tim gave the male aardvark a menacing growl, causing him to cower backwards and run. The villagers saw that he meant business and fled. Tim smirked in delight and threw Jenna over his shoulder.

The herd and the weasels called out Jenna's name throughout the village until they saw a cream-colored male weasel carrying an unconscious female body over his shoulder. Buck and Rosalina gasped when they found out whom that unconscious body was, Jenna.

Tim heard the sound of the herd and weasels' gasps and chuckled evilly, "Looking for someone?"

"What did you do to Jenna, you jerk!" Roxanne screeched as she glared at her step-father.

He chuckled again, "The girl was on her way to find you guys until I pummeled her to the ground."

Buck growled lowly and glared, "Look, we don't want any trouble. We just want Jenna back."

"Fine, I'll give her to you, but only if you give me the girls." Tim replied with a smirk.

"Remember the plan." Roxanne whispered to the herd and Buck.

"Fine, here." Buck pretended to say, carelessly. Rosalina and Roxanne fake-cried as they walked towards Tim. He smirked, "Wise decision. Here's your girlfriend." He threw Jenna's unconscious body at Buck's feet, causing Jenna to moan in pain. Buck growled lowly and lifted her body from the ground as he glared at him.

Roxanne nodded at Rosalina, giving her the signal to attack. She nodded and kicked Tim in the stomach. He fell to the ground and glared up at Rosalina and growled, "Want a fight, huh?" Rosalina snorted quietly and got in her fighting stance.

Tim picked himself up from the ground and punched Rosalina in the face, but she dodged the blow by grabbing his paw in hers then flipping him in the air and slammed him down on the ground.

"Close your eyes, sweetie." Ellie told Peaches as she and Manny covered her eyes. Diego was surprised that she had that much strength to lift a male from the ground and slam him down, including Buck and Roxanne. Sid winced at every punch and kick Rosalina gave Tim. Yet again, Crash and Eddie were cheering her on.

Tim put his leg under Rosalina's and jerked, causing Rosalina to fall down with a yelp. He lifted her and wrapped her flexible body around his neck. "I got you now!" Tim half panted and half chuckled evilly.

"I don't think so." Rosalina grunted as she bit into his paw. He screamed in pain and released Rosalina to look at his bleeding paw.

"That's why we weasels have sharp teeth." Roxanne smirked. Buck chuckled then looked at Jenna's unconscious body and whispered, "Come on, Jenna. Get up."

"Is she going to be okay? Do you want me to hold her for you?" Manny asked as he kept his trunk over his daughter's eyes.

"I got 'er, Manny. Thanks." Buck answered as he gazed at Jenna; hoping she would wake up soon.

Rosalina dodged a kick from Tim and came up from behind him and punched him in the back of the head; knocking him out. She panted, "Stay away from our family." With that, she walked away and walked over to the herd.

"Woo!" Crash and Eddie whooped as they high-fived Rosalina. Rosalina smiled then walked over to Buck.

"Is Jenna going to be okay?" She asked as she gently held Jenna's paw.

"I hope so." Buck said as he climbed onto Ellie's left tusk.

"I'm sure she's just fine. She'll wake up soon." Manny told them. Rosalina and Roxanne looked at Tim's unconscious body with a cold glare before walking out of the cave with the herd.

"I don't think that Tim is going to stop until he gets us." Rosalina sighed, breaking the silence.

"If he comes anywhere near the heard or us, I'll slit his throat." Buck grumbled angrily, but softened up as he looked at Jenna's still unconscious body.

"I hope Aunt Jenna will be okay." Peaches whimpered as she gently stroked Jenna's long brunette hair with her trunk.

"She'll wake up soon, sweetie." Ellie, Rosalina, and Roxanne said in unison. Manny wrapped his trunk around his daughter and held her.

"She's just sleeping, Peaches." He told her.

"What happened to her?" Peaches asked softly.

"Tim hurt her, Peach. I'm sure she'll wake up soon." Roxanne answered softly while stroking Peaches's fur reassuringly.

Suddenly, Buck felt stirring and looked down at Jenna and saw that she was waking up. Jenna's eyes fluttered as she looked around tiredly. She looked from the herd to Buck and the weasel twins. She moaned tiredly and looked at Buck again. "What happened?" Jenna asked groggily.

"You fell unconscious. Are you feelin' all right?" Buck asked as he gently lowered Jenna onto her feet.

"I feel dizzy." She answered as she started to stumble, but got caught by Roxanne and Peaches before she fell.

"Thanks." She sighed as she tried to keep her footing on the snow.

"I think you should rest, lass." Buck told her as he walked her towards Ellie. Ellie lifted both of them onto her back and continued walking. Rosalina and Roxanne got on Manny's tusks and relaxed.

"Ugh! I feel a knot on the back of my head." Jenna groaned as she lay on her back.

"Wot' do you think happened to cause the knot to come up?" Buck asked her softly.

"The last thing I saw before blacking out was when Tim slapped me across the face. Then, I felt something hard hit my head."

Buck started to growl at the fact that that monster had hurt his best friend. "You just get some shut-eye, lass. We'll be back at the cave soon." He told her before climbing off Ellie's back and walking on the snow.

Everyone heard a sniff and sobbing and saw Rosalina crying. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" Ellie asked with a small frown forming on her face.

"This is all my fault!" She sobbed quietly. Buck and Roxanne looked at each other for a moment before coming over to where Rosalina was and hugged her. "Sis, it's not your fault." Roxanne sighed as she hugged her sister. "I need to be alone." Rosalina sighed.

She jumped off of Manny's tusk and scurried away. "What's wrong with Rosalina?" Peaches asked the herd.

"She's just upset, sweetheart." Ellie told her daughter sadly.

"Want me to go find her?" Jenna asked, causing half of the herd to jump. She jumped off Ellie's back and told Buck, "I'll find her unless you want to instead."

He looked back at the herd then back at Jenna. "You mammals go ahead and go back to your cave with Roxanne. Jenna and I will be back." Buck told them as he and Jenna walked away. They obeyed and walked ahead of them to their cave with Roxanne on Diego's back.

Rosalina was sobbing on the ground with her head on a stone crying her eyes out. She lifted her head from the stone and walked over to a wall of ice. She looked at her miserable face before punching the icy wall with her fist, causing the wall to break. Rosalina yelped in pain and scurried around her surroundings, trying to find something to stop her paw from bleeding.

She found a leaf and tied it to make a cast for her paw. She rinsed her paw inside a puddle before putting on the cast. She panted and sobbed, "This is all my fault. This is all my fault. This is all my fault."

She found a sharp rock and positioned it in front of her chest. Before she could stab herself, Buck and Jenna found her and ran quickly towards her.

"I'll do it!" Rosalina threatened as she kept the sharp rock near her chest. Buck and Jenna looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Rosy, put the rock down." Buck told her calmly. Her paw shook as she held the rock closer to her chest.

Jenna slowly approached Rosalina from behind and took the rock out of her paw and threw it far away. Rosalina started to sob again and screamed, "This is all my fault! I should've killed myself years ago! I don't deserve to live!"

Jenna looked at Buck with a tears streaming down her face. His ears drooped and hugged Rosalina tight. She sobbed into his chest and hugged him tighter. Jenna joined the hug and cried softly on Rosalina's shoulder.

"Please, don't kill yourself. Think about how the herd and your sister would react. They would be devastated. Please, don't kill yourself. Please, for me, Buck, your sister, and the herd. Please?" Jenna pleaded as she gave Rosalina one last hug before looking at her with pleading eyes.

Rosalina hesitated for a moment. Then, she sobbed into Buck and Jenna's arms. "I love you guys." She wept.

"We love you too, Sweetie." Jenna sniffed as she hugged her back.

They finally released her and found that she fell asleep. Buck lifted Rosalina from the ground and smirked, "Maybe the millionth time I had to carry one of you." Jenna laughed quietly at this and stroked the sleeping she-weasel's silky black hair.

"You poor thing." She laughed. He smiled at her and joked, "Next time, you're carrying me." She playfully, but gently smacked his arm as she laughed.

Ellie, Peaches, and Roxanne looked outside of the cave worriedly. "I hope they didn't get into trouble again." Roxanne worried.

"I'm sure she must've ran somewhere far from us. They'll be back." Ellie reassured her.

"Where did Buck and Jenna go?" Peaches asked her mom with worry written on her face.

"They went to find Rosalina. They'll be back." Roxanne told her and muttered to herself."I hope."

Suddenly, Buck and Jenna entered the cave with Rosalina in Buck's arms, asleep. "What took you so long?" Roxanne asked them as she hugged the both of them.

"We'll tell ya' as soon as we find Rosy somewhere to sleep." Buck told her while looking for a place for her to fall asleep.

As soon as Buck got Rosalina situated, he walked back to the herd and sighed, "Rosy tried to kill herself with a sharp rock."

"I threw the rock away and pleaded for her to not do this to herself for the sake of you guys and Roxanne. Then, she hugged and told us that she loves us both then fell asleep in Buck's arms." Jenna added as she too sighed.

Everyone in the herd gasped except for Peaches, who, yet again, didn't know what was going on. "Why did she do that?" Diego asked them with a shocked look on his face.

"She was being hysterical." Buck answered sadly.

"Bless her heart. Did she do anything else before she threatened to kill herself?" Ellie asked Jenna.

"We saw a leaf over Rosalina's right paw." Jenna answered with tears forming in her eyes.

"You know what? How about you mammals just shake it off and have a snowball fight. I'll stay in here with Rosy?" Buck asked, trying not to bring any more symphany into this situation.

"Are you sure?" Sid asked while sadly looking at Rosalina's sleeping form on a smooth stone.

"Just have fun, sloth." He told him with a small smile.

Sid shrugged and walked out of the herd's cave to go to the playground with Peaches. "Are you sure, Buck?" Manny asked him as he started to walk out of the cave.

"I need ta' be alone with Rosy, all right?" He said sternly. Manny nodded and walked out of the cave with Ellie, Crash, and Eddie. Diego was the last to walk out of the cave with Roxanne on his back. The last ones in the cave now were Buck, Jenna, and Rosalina.

Buck made his way towards Rosalina and held her left paw with a sad sigh. Jenna walked towards them and gently laid a paw on Buck's shoulder and asked softly, "Are you okay?" He looked at her with a sad look in his eye and sighed again, "I think this is my fault that Rosalina is like this. If we hadn't run into Tim in the first place, she wouldn't be this way."

Jenna nodded understandingly then jumped when Buck sobbed softly into her shoulder. Her ears drooped and wrapped her comforting arms around his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "It's okay. It'll be okay. Please don't cry." She pulled him a little closer with a sad sigh escaping her lips.

After five minutes, Buck stopped crying and looked at Jenna with an apologetic smile. "Sorry." He said sadly.

"It's fine, Buck. Everything will be okay." Jenna sighed as she gently stroked Rosalina's long, black hair. She hated to see her dino-hunting, one-eyed, and crazy weasel friend upset, so she decided to change the subject.

"Want to have a snowball fight just to make us feel a little better?" Jenna asked with a small smile forming on her lips. Buck knew he was a little stressed and needed to shake, the incident that happened earlier, off. He finally forced a smile on his face and nodded. The two weasels left the herd's cave, leaving a sleeping Rosalina behind.


	11. Chapter 11

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 11

"That was so much fun!" Peaches, Roxanne, and Jenna giggled as they entered the herd's cave. Buck was beginning to worry about his daughter who was still sleeping. He made his way over to Rosalina and gently shook her shoulders.

"Is she okay, Buck? She's been asleep for four hours." Ellie told him as she walked inside the cave with the others following. Jenna looked over at Buck and Rosalina and frowned a little.

"I hope she wakes up soon." Jenna whimpered with tears forming in her eyes.

Buck sighed and walked over to Jenna. "It'll be all right, lass. We just got ta' be patient." He told her. Jenna nodded and started to stroke Peaches's hair gently.

"Rosalina will be okay." Peaches told her while wrapping her into a comforting hug with her trunk.

"Thanks, Sweetie." Jenna sniffed while hugging her back.

"You know, I'm starting to think that you are acting a little motherly towards the girls." Ellie smiled at Jenna.

"I care about them so much. I feel like I am part of the herd." She beamed.

"That reminds me, Roxanne and Jenna, follow me." Manny told the she-weasels. They obeyed and followed him out of the cave.

Suddenly, Ellie, Sid, Peaches, and Buck gasped as they saw Rosalina's body stirring. "Rosy?" Buck called out softly. Rosalina's eyes finally opened and replied tiredly, "Daddy?"

"Daddy? You guys aren't related." Eddie spoke out. Ellie smacked him in the back of the head and watched hopefully.

"Rosy! I thought you were never going ta' get up." Buck beamed happily as he ran to her and hugged her tight. She hugged back with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I love you." Rosalina whispered.

"Love you too, Rosy." Buck sighed.

Meanwhile, with Manny, Jenna, and Roxanne, they walked through the playground. Manny lifted them up to his tusks and walked towards Peaches's ice mobile. The girls gasped when they saw that he had added three more weasel shapes on the bottom with the other weasel shape with the eye patch and knife.

"Is that us?" Jenna and Roxanne asked with blushes forming on their cheeks.

"You're part of the family now. You girls, and Rosalina." Manny smiled. Jenna had tears rolling down her cheeks and whispered, "Thank you so much. I used to remember what it was like to be in a family, but they died when I was fifteen. I had to take care myself since then. Thank you so much for accepting us into your family."

"No problem, Jenna. I'm glad you two like it. If Rosalina wakes up before dark, I'll show this to her too." Manny declared.

"I'm sure she'll be just as touched as we are." Jenna said happily. After a couple of minutes of silence, Roxanne cleared her throat and said, "Right, I think that we should head back to the cave now." Manny nodded in agreement and walked back to the cave with Jenna and Roxanne on his back.

As soon as they reached the herd's cave, Jenna and Roxanne got quite a surprise. "Rosalina!" Roxanne and Jenna screamed as they jumped off Manny's tusks and bee-line sprinted towards her. Rosalina ran towards them and brought them into a tight embrace.

"We thought you were going to die in your sleep." Roxanne whispered in her sister's ear. Hearing this, Rosalina hugged her sister tighter and whispered, "I'm alive and well. You don't have to worry anymore."

Jenna and Roxanne finally released her to look at her with tears in their eyes. Buck walked over to them and grinned. "Oh, Rosalina, Manny's got to show you something!" Roxanne told her excitedly, dragging her towards Manny and hopping onto his right tusk with Rosalina by her side. Ellie smiled then lifted Buck, Jenna, Crash, and Eddie onto her back with Sid, Diego, and Peaches following behind her.

When they finally reached the playground, Manny placed his trunk over Rosalina's eyes and told her, "No peeking." She nodded and kept her eyes closed. The herd smiled at them and waited to see Rosalina's face when she saw the surprise.

"Okay, open them." Manny told her as he removed his trunk off of her eyes. Rosalina opened her eyes and gasped at the sight before her.

She saw that there were three other weasel shapes on the ice mobile. She placed her left paw over her heart and whispered, "No one's ever done this for Roxanne and me before."

"Since we found out that you were staying with Buck, Ellie and I decided that you should be part of the herd too." Manny explained.

"Thank you so much." Rosalina whispered as she hugged the herd with tears escaping her eyes.

"You're welcome, Sweetie." Ellie beamed while holding Peaches in her trunk.

"We knew you would love it. Manny brought Roxanne and me over here to see the mobile while you were still asleep." Jenna explained with a smile. Rosalina smiled back and said, "Thanks for accepting Roxanne, Jenna, and I into your herd."

"No problem." Manny replied.

Suddenly, Tim showed up, yet again, but this time, he had a sharp rock in his right paw with a menacing look on his face. "**RUN!**" Rosalina and Buck screamed at the herd. They obeyed and ran back to their cave except Jenna and Roxanne.

"I'm not going to let you get killed by a psychopath!" Jenna screeched at Buck.

"**Lass, go with them and take Roxanne with you!**" Buck told her while fighting Tim.

"Roxanne, you go back to the cave. I'm going to help them." Jenna told Roxanne. She obeyed and bee-line sprinted to the herd's cave.

Jenna tackled Tim to the ground, causing Rosalina and Buck to gasp. "I told ya' to go back to their cave, Jenny!" Buck snapped.

"I'm not going to let you get hurt!" Jenna snapped back.

"You better listen to your girlfriend, Buck. You don't want her to hurt you." Tim teased.

"Shut up!" Rosalina growled and kicked him on the side, causing him to groan in pain.

Buck and Jenna blushed hard, and then focused on their goal. Buck placed his paws on both of Jenna's shoulders and told her, "Go back to their cave. Rosy and I will handle this." Jenna sighed, "Okay, but I want to let you know that… I believe in you guys."

Buck smiled and blushed then, strangely, started to hug her tight. Jenna blushed hard and hugged him back. He finally released her and sighed, "Thanks, lass. Now, go back to the cave." She obeyed with a smile and ran back to the cave and gave Buck one last glance before running again.

Buck caught her glance and nodded with a smile. "Um, Buck, a little help?" Rosalina yelled as she struggled to pin Tim to the ground. He turned his head and ran over to where they were and helped Rosalina pin him down.

Jenna knew that rule number one was: always listen to Buck, but she did a u-turn back to them and hid behind a stone.

Tim punched Rosalina's arm, causing her to yelp and fall on top of him. He kicked her off of him and shouldered Buck in the jaw, causing him to double take backwards. Tim grabbed his knife and positioned it at Rosalina and Buck. Just when he was about to stab them, Jenna ran out of her hiding place and tackled him to the ground. Tim growled and threw her against a rock wall, knocking her out instantly.

Buck and Rosalina gasped in horror. Tim growled and chuckled evilly. Rosalina retrieved Buck's knife and stabbed Tim in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground and grasp his bleeding abdomen in pain. She finished him off by kicking him on the side one last time before running towards Jenna's unconscious body.

Buck looked down at Tim and growled, "I don't want ya' near them anymore. Neva'!" Tim nodded and started to crawl away from him, clutching his abdomen while doing so.

Buck snorted quietly before turning his head and gasp. He ran towards Jenna and Rosalina and lifted Jenna's unconscious body off the ground. Rosalina watched worriedly and whimpered softly beside Buck.

"Jenna, are you all right?" Buck asked cautiously while holding her. She moaned quietly as her baby blue eyes started to flutter open.

"What happened?" She asked with a confused look on her face.

"Jenna." Buck sighed in relief as he helped her up.

"You got thrown against a stone." Rosalina answered and hugged her gently.

Jenna nodded then looked at Buck, who was staring out to space. "Is something on your mind, Buck?"

"Oh! Uh, sorry about that. I just zoned out for a moment." He jumped.

After a few minutes of silence, Rosalina said, "I guess we should head back."

"You go on ahead, lass. I need to talk to Jenna fo' a minute." Buck told her. She obeyed and ran back to the herd's cave.

He sighed then looked at Jenna, who was patiently waiting for him to say something. Finally, he found his words and said softly, "That was amazing. Wot' you just did earlier." She suddenly remembered that she saved Rosalina and Buck from being murdered by Tim by tackling him to the ground.

"It wasn't a problem at all. I guess I sort of care about your girls and-," Jenna started to blush hard when she said the next word, "You."

Buck caught her blush and started to blush as well. He placed a paw on Jenna's shoulder and patted it gently. He smiled softly, "Thanks, lass." He gasped when he saw a medium-sized scratch was on Jenna's left arm.

"What's wrong?" She asked, alarmed. Buck pointed at her arm and heard her gasp.

"I'll fix that." He reassured her and ran to find the things he needed to heal Jenna's wound.

Buck came back with a medium-sized leaf and an empty glyptodont shell (A/N: If you remember the shell that Manny was carrying between his tusks at the beginning of the movie.) which he had a hard time dragging since he put water in it.

Jenna got up and walked over to him so he wouldn't have to walk further to her with the shell. Buck chuckled tiredly and panted, "Thanks fo' makin' it easy fo' me." She gave him a nod and sat back down.

He tilted the shell down a little, letting some water pour down on Jenna's wounded arm. Jenna sighed through her nose and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the cool water that was being poured onto her wound. "I bet that felt good." Buck smiled at her relaxed state. She opened her eyes and muttered, "You have no idea." He chuckled at her remark and wrapped the leaf around her wound.

"All done." He stated happily. Jenna smiled gratefully at him and whispered, "Thanks."

"No' a problem at all, lass." Buck replied and helped her get up. Jenna smiled at him softly with a shade of light pink forming on her tan cheeks. He caught her gaze and smiled back. She realized that she was staring and chuckled nervously, "Sorry."

"For wot'?"

"N-n-nothing. I-I guess that w-w-we should h-head back." Jenna stuttered. He nodded in agreement and followed behind her.

Rosalina was halfway to the herd's cave until a female beaver walked over to her and asked, "Aren't you and your sister Clarissa's daughter?" Rosalina was taken aback and asked, shocked, "You know our mother?"

"Yes I do. Everyone knows her. She's beautiful and not hard to forget. You look just like her. I was starting to think that she didn't die, but then, I realized that she looked shorter and thought that you must be her daughter." The beaver answered.

Rosalina started to get excited and beamed, "Well, yeah. I am one of her daughters and we're both sixteen, in human years."

"Gosh, you've grown up so fast. I was sure that Tim had already killed the both of you. Surprises me that you're still alive." The she-beaver replied.

"Do you know our real father?" Rosalina asked hopefully. The she-beaver gasped softly and whimpered, "Oh, Sweetie, I know your father, but he left your mother when he found out that she was pregnant with the two of you. Bless her heart; she went silent for weeks until she met Tim. She thought he was very nice when she saw the way he acted in the past, but she knew that she shouldn't have married him after experiencing the way that he treated her. She was always stressed and when it was time for her to give birth to you two, she had to do it on her own. Tim finally came around and only made Clarissa's life worse. She tried her best to keep you two away from him, but always failed. It broke her heart that she had to see you get beaten by him." She explained.

Rosalina was crying quietly and asked her, "Did Roxanne get abused too?"

"Oh, yes. She was raped." The she-beaver whispered.

"**WHAT!**" Rosalina screamed, causing the aardvarks and anteaters to stare at her wide-eyed.

"**WHAT!**" Buck and Jenna heard a scream from a distance.

"That's Rosalina." Jenna muttered to Buck.

"She sounds mad." Buck replied with an 'uh oh' expression on his face. They quickened their paces as they went to find Rosalina.

"Why didn't Roxanne tell me?" Rosalina roared angrily. The she-beaver whimpered as she back away quickly, "I'm sorry! Clarissa never wanted you to get hurt by the truth and kept quiet." She ran away, leaving Rosalina on her knees, sobbing.

"Rosalina!" Buck and Jenna screamed as they ran to her. Buck held her close and shushed her quietly.

"What happened?" Jenna asked as she held her close as well.

Rosalina sniffed and whimpered, "I need to tell you something."

"Go ahead." They replied.

"Roxanne has been raped when we stayed with Tim." Buck and Jenna gasped in horror.

"No." Buck whispered as his blue eye started to glaze with tears. Jenna clamped her paws over her mouth and cried quietly.

Rosalina started to sob again and wailed, "**WHY! WHY, MOMMY? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? WHY!"**

"I need to tell the herd." Rosalina sniffed.

"First, we talk ta' Roxanne." Buck said sternly and strutted away from them to the herd's cave.

"W-w-wait for us!" Rosalina and Jenna yelled over to him as they bee-line sprinted after him.

"Where are they?" Ellie and Roxanne asked themselves, looking at the napping figures behind them. Suddenly, Buck walked into the cave, looking mad and devastated with two crying she-weasels behind him.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rosalina growled at Roxanne as she held Jenna in an embrace.

"Tell you guys what?" Roxanne asked, confused.

"Lass, we need ta' talk to you." Buck told her sternly. Her ears drooped and whimpered quietly.

"Ellie, do you mind if we steal her away from you for a minute?" Buck asked as he led Roxanne outside of the cave.

"No, not at all." She answered kindly.

"Jenna, stay in there with Ellie." Buck commanded softly. She obeyed and cried silently.

"Rosy, come with me." Buck told her. Rosalina obeyed and walked out of the cave with her ears drooped and muttered, "Oh, no."

As they walked out the herd's cave, Roxanne asked, "What is this about?" Buck and Rosalina looked at her with devastated looks on their faces and sighed.

"Why didn't ya' tell me?" Buck asked.

"Tell you what?" Roxanne asked, confused.

"Like you don't know." Rosalina growled.

"What are talking about?" Roxanne asked, furiously.

"That you were raped by Tim." Buck and Rosalina answered sadly. Roxanne gasped and asked, "Who told you?"

"A female beaver. She knew about our real father, our mother being left when she was pregnant with us, and knew you were raped when we lived with Tim." Rosalina answered with a menacing growl.

_No! Stop, please!" a small white and black spotted she-weasel kit pleaded loudly. "Shut up! You don't want your mother or your worthless sister to know about our little game." A cream-colored male weasel smirked dirtily at her, causing her to whimper and let him continue with what he was doing to her._

Roxanne started to sob at the memory and whispered, "I'm so sorry. I didn't want Rosalina to get hurt by the truth, but it's too late."

"All this time, I thought I was the only one being abused, but I guess I was wrong. Roxanne, if you would've told me then, I would have been able to keep you safe from him." Rosalina declared.

"Lass, why didn't you tell me?" Buck asked her.

"I was trying to keep it a secret. Plus, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, or else, I would be kicked out of the cave and sleep outside in the cold and snow." Roxanne explained.

Roxanne fell onto her knees and sobbed uncontrollably. A tear rolled down Buck's cheek as he got down beside her and pulled her into a hug. Rosalina couldn't take the pressure anymore and ran back into the cave, sobbing.

"You're with me now, lass. If anyone tries to hurt you, Rosalina, the herd, even Jenna, I will fight them away. If Tim gets anywhere near you again, his head will be ripped off of his body." Buck told her while holding Roxanne against him. With one last sniff, Roxanne lifted her head off of Buck's chest and sighed, "I know. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but the pain is just too much for me to handle."

"I know it is, darlin'." Buck muttered and gave her a fatherly kiss on her forehead.

"I love you." He whispered as he hugged Roxanne one last time.

"Love you, too." Roxanne replied, returning the hug.

Meanwhile, in the cave, Ellie and Jenna were crowded beside Rosalina, comforting her. "What happened out there, Sweetie?" Ellie asked while stroking Rosalina's black, silky, shoulder-length hair gently.

"Ask that to Roxanne." Rosalina hiccupped. Then, Peaches and Sid walked over to them and looked at Ellie with confused faces.

"Mommy, what's wrong with Rosalina?" Peaches asked her mom, wrapping her little trunk around Ellie's.

"She's upset, Sweetheart." Ellie answered sadly.

"Will a hug make you feel better?" Sid asked Rosalina. She leapt into Sid's arms and continued to sob. He returned the hug with Peaches also joining the embrace.

Suddenly, Buck and Roxanne entered the cave with tear-stained faces. "What happened out there, Buck?" Ellie asked him as soon as they entered the cave.

"Mammals, there's something that Roxanne needs to tell all of you." Buck told them, giving Roxanne an encouraging look. She nodded and whimpered, "I've been raped by Tim ever since I was a kit."

The entire herd gasped loudly at this. Peaches asked, "What is rape?"

"We'll tell you when you grow up." Manny answered.

"Okay, daddy." She smiled and wrapped her trunk around his.

"That sick dog!" Crash and Eddie yelled at the same time. "**I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!**" Rosalina screamed loudly and ran out of the cave, swiftly taking Buck's knife with her before Buck could retrieve it and sobbed, yet again. The herd stared at Rosalina until she was a blur. Jenna started to run after her, but got held back by Buck. She looked at him, confused; until he whispered to her, "Let her go." She nodded and took in all the drama.

Rosalina ran through the village, not looking at the creatures around her staring at her as she continued to run. She ran five miles until she found Tim's cave and bee-line sprinted inside and panted heavily while looking around.

"Where are you, you rapist?" Rosalina screamed while scanning the cave for Tim.

"I see you decided to crawl back to me." Tim smirked as he stepped out of the shadows and into the light. She saw a scar going across Tim's stomach from where she stabbed him hours ago.

She looked back up at him and gave him a death glare. "Shut up!" Rosalina screamed, kicking Tim in the shin. He screamed in pain and fell to the ground.

"What did I do this time?" Tim coughed.

"You raped Roxanne, you lowlife!" Rosalina screamed as she began kicking him in the side, causing him to cough and grunt.

"She told you?"

"A she-beaver told me this. Is this true?" Rosalina asked.

"Why would you like to know?" Tim asked. Rosalina growled and stomped on Tim's stomach hard, causing him to cough up blood and vomit.

"Okay, I raped Roxanne. It's true!" Tim wheezed.

"You sick man!" Rosalina screamed as she started to kick him in the head, not caring for Tim's groans of pain.

"This is where I draw the line. Rot in the fiery pits of hell, jerk." Rosalina growled at him with a cold glare.

"What are you doing?" Tim asked as he looked up at Rosalina in fear.

"Ending your life. You don't deserve to live." Rosalina growled.

"No!** NO!**" Tim screamed, but it was too late, Rosalina stabbed him in the chest with Buck's knife. She pulled the knife out slowly and watched as Tim's chest stopped rising and his eyes closed, a pool of blood forming from underneath him.

"Goodbye, for good!" Rosalina muttered and gave Tim's dead body one last cold glare before walking out of his cave with his blood still on Buck's knife.

"This is all my fault." Buck whispered as he started to hug Jenna. She blushed a little and hugged him back, shushing him as he began to cry quietly. Suddenly, Rosalina came walking through the cave entrance and muttered, "I'm a murderer." Buck saw blood on his knife and gasped, "Did you-"

"Yes, I killed Tim. I didn't want to do it, but he went way too far. I'm saying goodbye and going back to Dinotopia." Rosalina whimpered, not daring to look at the herd or her sister, Buck, and Jenna.

"Guess if you're going back, we might as well go, too." Jenna declared.

"No, I'm going, alone. Don't let me get in the way of you're busy schedule." Rosalina spat and gave everybody hugs before making a bee-line for the cave back to the Jurassic world.

Roxanne started to whimper and hugged Buck and Jenna. They hugged her back and looked at the herd over her shoulders. The herd nodded understandingly and hoped that Rosalina would come back.

Rosalina looked back at the village then back at the hole that she was about to enter. She sighed, "I'm sorry." Then, she entered the hole and walked back to the dinosaur world, not looking back. She walked out of the cave and looked at her surroundings, unaware that an ankylosaurus was behind her.

The dinosaur slowly swayed his tail over her and landed it three inches from her. Rosalina yelped and looked behind her to see an angry-looking fossil behind her. She screamed and ran on all fours. The ankylosaurus roared angrily and ran after her.

Rosalina panted and yelped when the dinosaur's tail crashed beside her again and quickened her pace. She ran towards a ledge and stopped. She was trapped. Before the ankylosaurus could reach her, its tail got stuck on a stalagmite and roared angrily.

Rosalina scanned around for some leaves and found some. She saw a long neck in front of her and whistled. "Here, buddy! Come here! Here are some leaves for you!" She called out to it. The long neck saw her with some leaves and slowly took them from her paws. Rosalina panted and slid down on it. "Sixteen-year-old weasel wants to live! Aah!"

She safely landed onto the ground and was staring face-to-face with Momma Dinosaur. "Thank goodness I found you!" Rosalina sighed gratefully. Momma sniffed her to see if she could trust her. Then, she smiled and licked Rosalina, lifting her from the ground. "Ugh!" Rosalina exclaimed quietly. Suddenly, three baby t-rexes behind Momma ran towards Rosalina and started to chirp.

"Hi, cuties." Rosalina said as she rubbed Shelly's snout. Momma exhaled and lifted Rosalina off the ground and onto her back with her scaly tail.

Meanwhile, in the Ice Age world at night, the herd had fallen asleep hours ago, leaving Buck and Jenna still awake.

"I hope Rudy didn't get a hold of Rosalina." Jenna whimpered. Buck's ears drooped and muttered, "Me, too." He sighed and looked down at his bloody knife.

"I feel like I am the worst foster fatha' eva'." He grumbled. Jenna placed a paw on his chest and whispered, "No, you're not." Buck blushed a little when he saw Jenna's paw on his chest and sat down. Jenna joined him looked up at the night sky.

"Are we going back tomorrow? You know, to find Rosalina?" Jenna asked. Buck looked at her and nodded. "You're still upset, aren't you?"

"I'm worried about Rosy and Roxanne. Hopefully, Mommy Dinosaur has Rosy and is taking care of her while we're here." Buck said as he accidentally leaned his head on Jenna's.

"Um, Buck." Jenna blushed hard. He looked down and saw his cheek nuzzled into Jenna's hair and quickly lifted his head up.

"Sorry." Buck chuckled.

"It's ok." Jenna replied.

"You know, Momma may've found Rosalina before Rudy could. I bet she's safe." Jenna sighed.

"I hope you're right." Buck dismissed and continued to look at the stars.

Back in the Jurassic world, Momma found a safe cave for her, her babies, and Rosalina to sleep in for the night (A/N: The cave in the movie.). Then, a blood-curdling roar came from a distance, causing Momma to lift Rosalina and her kids into the cave quickly and climb in next.

Rosalina got comfortable in between the baby tyrannosaurus rexes and looked up at Momma. "Momma, thank you so much." Rosalina smiled gratefully up at her. She smiled back and wrapped her tail around the kids and the she-weasel before bringing her head inside the cave.

A shadow came up from the trees and it hissed quietly before going away.


	12. Chapter 12

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 12

Rosalina yawned and looked around the cave tiredly. Momma heard her and turned her head with a small grunt. Rosalina jumped and yawned, "Morning, Momma." She smiled at the she-weasel and gently nudged her with her snout. Rosalina smiled softly back until she and Momma heard Egbert, Shelly, and Yoko yawn.

"Morning, little babies." Rosalina said in a baby voice. The baby tyrannosaurus rexes looked at her and chirped happily. Momma nudged her kids affectionately then lifted them with her tail and sat them on the rough dirt ground. Rosalina knew the drill and climbed onto Momma's snout.

As soon as Momma came out, a vicious roar came from a distance. Momma nudged her kids to run. They obeyed and ran through the foliage. Rosalina looked at the worried rex and gave her an anxious look on her face. Momma nodded and walked after the t-rex kids with Rosalina on her back.

Buck yawned and looked around the herd's cave, seeing that the herd was gone. He gasped and scanned around frantically. Jenna yawned and sat up beside him. "Um, Jen, where did the herd go?" Buck asked her as he continued to look around the almost empty cave.

"Manny said that they were going on an early morning stroll and I decided to stay here with you and Roxanne." She explained as she stretched her arms with another yawn.

Buck frowned at Roxanne's depressed form at the entrance of the cave then to Jenna. She frowned a little as well and whispered in his ear, "She couldn't sleep last night and stayed up. I'm surprised that she is still awake. Maybe we should check on her." He nodded in agreement, stretching his arms as he did so.

They got up and walked quietly towards Roxanne with both of their ears pressed against their heads. "I knew you two were awake." Roxanne muttered, depressed. Buck and Jenna dropped the act and placed their paws on both of Roxanne's shoulders.

"I am so sorry that I didn't tell you about me being raped, Dad." Roxanne sniffed as she began to cry. Buck's heart broke into a million pieces and hugged her tight. Jenna watched the heartbreaking daughter-and-father scene from behind them with a sad sigh.

Buck released her and whispered, "It's all right. Rosy and I were pressuring you ta' tell us this. I'm…. I mean, we're sorry we did that. I'm terrible at bein' a fatha'." Tears started to stream down from Buck's only blue eye.

Roxanne gasped and slapped him across the face, taking him and Jenna aback. "Why do you think that? You are a wonderful foster father! I love you so much! You shouldn't talk like this! You're tons better than Tim, Buck! Rosalina thinks that you are too! We both love you so much! You didn't pressure me. You just wanted the truth. I understand." Roxanne screamed.

Jenna started to shake uncontrollably because of all the drama. They looked over at her and Roxanne whispered, "I'm so sorry." Buck walked towards Jenna and rubbed her back comfortingly in small circles.

Jenna sighed through her nose as he continued and blushed hard. "Are you all right now?" Buck asked her when he stopped.

"Yeah." Jenna sighed. He nodded and patted her shoulder with a smile. She smiled back with another blush.

"Um, guys, I'm still here." Roxanne said in sing-song voice.

"Sorry, lass." Buck replied with a nervous chuckle. Roxanne rolled her hazel eyes then looked back at the cave exit.

"Do you think we should tell the herd that we're leaving?" Jenna asked them, catching Roxanne's gaze at the cave entrance. Roxanne jumped and looked at Buck, expecting an answer. He nodded without a word.

As they were all set and awake, Buck followed the she-weasels out of the cave. Jenna sniffed the air, along with Roxanne. "Buck, follow us!"

"You got their scents?"

"Yes! Now, hurry up!" Roxanne screeched while running on all fours with Jenna. Buck shrugged and ran on all fours with them.

Meanwhile, in the Jurassic world, Momma was washing Egbert, Shelly, and Yoko in a large, shallow puddle with Rosalina's help. Momma smiled at the teen she-weasel as she continued to wash them. Rosalina saw her smile and knew why. "I'm always happy to help, Momma Dinosaur." She beamed up at her then giggled when Yoko nudged her affectionately.

Rosalina suddenly had an urge to sing and began to sing.

_Paper flowers._

_Paper flowers._

_I linger in the doorway_

_Of alarm clock- screaming monsters calling my name._

_Let me stay where the wind will whisper to me._

_Where the raindrops, as they're falling, tell a story._

Momma was in a trance as Rosalina sang, especially Egbert, Shelly, and Yoko.

_In my field of paper flowers and candy clouds of lullaby, I lie inside myself for hours and watch my purple sky fly over me._

_Don't say I'm out of touch with this rampant chaos, your reality._

_I know well what lies beyond my own world to escape._

_In my field of paper flowers and candy clouds of lullaby, I lie inside myself for hours and watch my purple sky fly over me._

Rosalina stroked each of the baby rexes as she continued singing, looking up at Momma as she did so.

_Swallowed up by the sound of my screaming, cannot cease of the fear of silent nights._

_Oh, how I long for the deep sleep dreaming. The Goddess of imaginary light._

_In my field of paper flowers and candy clouds of lullaby, I lie inside myself for hours and watch my purple sky fly over me._

_Paper flowers._

_Paper flowers._

She ended the song and chuckled at the babies as they clapped and chirped happily. "I guess they like that song." Rosalina laughed. Momma smiled softly and gave her an affectionate lick with her tongue. "Ugh!" Rosalina complained quietly to herself.

As Momma and Rosalina got the babies clean, they heard a roar from a distance. Momma reacted and lifted her babies out of the puddle and onto her back. Rosalina climbed up Momma's tail and sat in front of the frightened baby t-rexes.

"Everything will be okay, guys. I promise." Rosalina reassured them as Momma walked quickly through the foliage.

Back in the Ice Age world, Roxanne sniffed the air for the herd's scents. "Can you find their scents?" Jenna asked as, she too, sniffed the air. Roxanne's ears perked up and gave Buck and Jenna a signal for them to follow her. They finally found the herd at the playground and ran towards them.

"Hey, Buck, Jenna, Roxanne, has Rosalina come back?" Manny asked them as they made their way towards them.

"That's what were about to discuss." Jenna panted. Finally, when the weasels caught their breath, Buck cleared his throat and explained, "Mammals, we may have ta' go back to Dinoland to find 'er. We came here ta' say goodbye befo' we leave."

Peaches started to whimper sadly and walked towards him with a frown. "Will we ever see you guys again?"

"Aw, fruity, of coarse we will. We'll try our best ta' visit you and your family when we can." Buck smiled sadly. She wrapped her trunk around Buck's waist and whispered, "Love you, Uncle Buck." Buck's heart melted at this and replied, "I love you too, Peachy."

"Hey, what about us." Roxanne pouted cutely. Peaches ran to her and Jenna and wrapped her trunk around both of them. "Love you too Aunt Jenna and Aunt Roxanne." Peaches whimpered.

"Love you, too, Peaches." Roxanne and Jenna whispered to her.

"Come here girls." Ellie smiled sadly. They obeyed and gave her, Manny, and Sid a goodbye hug.

"We'll miss you, Buck man." Crash sobbed and hugged him tight, with Eddie joining in.

"Lads, Buck can't breathe." Buck panted from the tightness of the hug.

"Sorry, bro." They apologized as he released him.

"We'll miss you, too." Roxanne and Jenna sighed as they gave Crash and Eddie hugs. Jenna walked over to Diego and asked shyly, "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, not at all." He stated and pulled her into a hug and patted her back gently with his paw.

After they gave them hugs goodbye, they sighed sadly and walked away, leaving the herd to watch them go.

"I'm going to miss them." Jenna sighed sadly as they walked through the valley.

"Me, too." Roxanne agreed as she walked in between Buck and Jenna. Suddenly, a male beaver ran towards them and asked them, "Have you heard? Rosalina killed Tim before she went into this hole in the ground."

"We know." They stated with guilty looks on their faces. The male beaver looked at Roxanne and asked her, "Hey, aren't you Rosalina's twin?"

"Yes, sir." She smiled sadly.

"Well, tell her that I said 'well done'." She growled lowly and dragged Buck and Jenna away from the beaver as she walked away.

"Ugh! The nerve of some mammals!" Roxanne groaned irritated.

"There, there, lass. It's all right." Buck reassured her. Jenna nodded in agreement until she heard Roxanne scream.

"Lass, wot' is it?" Buck asked, alarmed.

"I-I saw Tim." Roxanne stuttered a little.

"He's alive?" Jenna asked.

"No! I think he's… oh my gosh, haunting me!" Roxanne screamed and ran away from them, screaming through the valley and not looking at the beavers', aardvarks', and other creatures' glances.

Buck glanced at Jenna with a worried look. Jenna patted his shoulder reassuringly then bee-line sprinted through the valley to find Roxanne. Buck ran after her, trying to catch up.

Roxanne ran blindly through the trees and the snow-covered ground until she found the hole back to the Jurassic world. She stopped running and scanned around for Tim's ghost. Tim chuckled evilly at her and smirked, "Rosalina's next." She screamed and fell to the ground, sobbing maniacally. When ghost Tim left, Roxanne recovered quickly and started to sing in a scared tone.

_Long, lost words whisper softly to me. _

_Still can't find what keeps me here. _

_When all this time, I've been so hollow inside._

_I know you're still there._

In the Dinosaur world, Rosalina smiled as she looked at all the green surrounding her and the t-rexes until she saw a ghost-like weasel appear on Momma's back. She realized it was Tim and screamed in fear. "I hope you're not too scared." The ghost Tim laughed evilly as he faded away. Rosalina was shaking like a leaf and started to sing in a shaky voice.

_Both: Watching me, wanting me, I can feel you pull me down._

_Fearing you, loving you, I won't let you pull me down._

Roxanne was shaken by the fact that she was, in fact, being haunted. She couldn't take it and made her voice stronger.

_Hunting you, I can smell you alive_

_You're heart pounding in my head._

Rosalina's shaky voice finally got stronger and sang.

_Both: Watching me, wanting me, I can feel you pull me down._

_Rosalina: Saving me._

_Roxanne: Raping me._

_Both: Watching me!_

Roxanne remembered her childhood with Tim and let hot tears run down her cheeks, but her voice never did crack.

_Both: Watching me, wanting me, I can feel you pull me down._

_Fearing you, loving you, I won't let you pull me down!_

As Rosalina and Roxanne belted out the last note, they started to sob hysterically in their different worlds.

Buck and Jenna followed the footprints that Roxanne left behind and bee-line sprinted through the snow while following the prints as they did so.

Finally, they found her sobbing on the snow-covered ground and shaking like a leaf. They ran to her and tried their best to calm her down. Roxanne shook in Buck's arms and panted, "He is haunting me." Buck laid a paw on the back of her head and held her close to his chest. Jenna mouthed to Buck, "_I'm going to find Rosalina."_

Buck looked at her and replied, "Wait fo' me ta' calm Roxanne down." She nodded and rubbed Roxanne's back reassuringly. They finally got Roxanne to calm down and Roxanne pulled away from Buck's chest and said, "Let's get out of here." They nodded and followed her through the hole and into the cave back to the tropical world.

Meanwhile, Rosalina was laughing as she and the baby t-rexes were playing and pouncing on each other. Momma smiled at them until she heard another roar from a distance and nudged them with her snout to run faster. Egbert, Shelly, and Yoko obeyed their mom and ran through the green ferns.

Rosalina looked at Momma and patted her snout gently reassured her, "It'll be okay, I'm scared, too." Momma smiled softly and laid her head on the ground, signaling her to climb on. She got on Momma's snout and crawled over her head to her back and gently told her to go. Momma nodded and walked through the leaves and trees around them.

Buck, Jenna, and Roxanne sighed through their noses as they took in the aroma of the tropical, dinosaur paradise. Then, Buck turned to Jenna and asked, "Are ya' sure you want ta' stay here?"

"Yes, more than anything. It's so wonderful down here. I'm not usually the danger-loving type, but I am willing to face it when it's near." Jenna replied with her chest puffed out in pride.

Buck chuckled at this and smirked, "All right, if we find Rosy, we'll tell 'er that you're staying." Jenna squealed excitedly and hugged Buck. He blushed a little and smiled down at her, "Ay, lass. A little too excited there?"

"Oh, sorry." She blushed as she released him. He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a friendly manner, causing her to blush harder and making him laugh quietly.

"Guys, we need to find Rosalina, not get all lovey-dovey on me." Roxanne sassed as she made her way to one of the long necks with leaves in her paws. Jenna blushed a shade of blood. Buck laughed quietly at this and smirked, "Blush harder than that, you'll faint." She looked at him shyly and replied with a chuckle, "It's sort of my personality and in my nature. I blush a lot."

"I can tell." Buck smiled. Jenna let her blush go from a blood red color to a light shade of pink.

Jenna cleared her throat and beamed, "I guess we better get on that long neck before we end up flying in the air." Buck chuckled and ran behind her.

"Hey, guys! Down here!" Roxanne yelled. They saw that she was already at the bottom of the cliff, unharmed. Jenna and Buck slid down the long neck's body then screamed when the long neck's tail rose up. "Oh no!" Jenna screamed as they flew in the air like she sort of predicted.

"Ow!"

"Ouch!"

"Buck, are you okay?" Jenna asked after they landed in the tree. Buck was clinging onto a branch, trying to keep himself from falling.

"I'm all right, lass." The male replied. Jenna nodded.

"Let's get out of here." Buck told her as he pounced off of the tree with a perfect landing.

Jenna was about to jump until she saw how far down it was and cowered against a tree branch. "Buck, I don't think I can do this." She told him nervously.

"Jenna, just jump and I'll catch ya'." Buck promised her.

Then, Roxanne walked over to Buck and yelled to Jenna, "Just jump. Jump, woman, jump, jump, jump!"

"Okay!" Jenna snapped. She took a deep breath and muttered to herself, "Well, here goes nothing,"

"Will you jump already?" Roxanne snapped impatiently. Finally, she jumped and screeched, "Catch me!"

As Buck promised, he caught her, holding her bridal-style. Jenna was shaking from the adrenaline rush in his arms. "Told ya' I would catch you." He smiled. Jenna stopped shaking and started to blush a scarlet color when she saw the way he was holding her. "Thanks for catching me. I think you can let me down, now." She blushed.

He nodded and put her down. Jenna smoothed her leaf dress out then smiled at Buck gratefully. He smiled back at her. "Love birds, we need to find Rosalina now!" Roxanne reminded them. They looked at each other then at Roxanne.

"Right, follow me." Buck smiled.

"Forgetting something, Buck?" Roxanne asked as she gave his knife to him.

"Thank you, Roxanne." He said as he retrieved his knife from Roxanne.

"Now, follow me." Buck smiled then froze when he heard Rudy's roar from a distance.

"Buck, what if Rudy finds Rosalina before us?" Roxanne asked nervously.

"I'll make sure we get there befo' he does. That means that we need ta' get a move on." Buck started to run through the green foliage. Jenna ran with Roxanne's paw in hers as they ran to catch up with him.

From a distance, Momma and Rosalina heard Rudy's roar and scanned around their surroundings worriedly. Momma lifted her kids onto her back again and lifted Rosalina off of the ground and onto her head.

"Momma, I need to reunite with Buck, Jenna, and Roxanne. Do you think that you can take me back to them?" Rosalina asked her. Momma looked up at the she-weasel's pleading eyes and nodded. "Oh, thank you so much, Momma." She beamed gratefully. She smiled and began to sniff the air, trying to find their scents.

As Buck, Jenna, and Roxanne were running, Jenna looked over at Roxanne, who was running much faster than she was. _She must really want to save Rosalina, but she's not alone there._ Jenna thought as she tried to catch up with Buck and Roxanne then tripped over her own tail in the process.

They turned around to find Jenna on the ground and went back for her to help her up. "Thanks." Jenna grunted as she got up and smoothed her leaf dress out again. "I'm going to guess that you tripped over your tail." Roxanne predicted.

"Yep." Jenna nodded.

"Come on." Roxanne muttered to her and took her paw as they started to run again.

Back with Rosalina and the tyrannosaurus rexes, Rosalina sniffed the air and found a familiar sweet scent. It was Jenna's. "Momma, go this way." She told her as she pointed west. Momma nodded and went the direction she was told to go.

Buck looked over at the she-weasels running behind him and caught a familiar scent: Rosalina's scent. "Girls, stop!"

"What is it?"

"I caught Rosalina's scent." The girls got excited and sniffed the air, catching the same scent that Buck caught.

"That's her all right. She always smells like a fresh flower." Roxanne smiled.

"Which way do we go, Buck?" Jenna asked him. Buck sniffed the air again and pointed west. The she-weasels nodded and ran the direction he was leading them to.

With Momma, Egbert, Shelly, Yoko, and Rosalina

"I think we're getting close." Rosalina told Momma as they both sniffed the air. Suddenly, Rudy came into view and roared, almost making Rosalina deft. "Momma, take the kids somewhere safe, I'll try to outrun Rudy." Rosalina instructed Momma. She gave Rosalina an 'are you crazy?' look. "Momma, trust me!" Momma nodded and let her get on the ground. Before she left, she nudged her good luck and walked away with her kids running in front of her.

Buck, Jenna, and Roxanne were so close to reuniting with Rosalina again until Rudy blocked their way. "What are we going to do?" Roxanne and Jenna asked the one-eyed weasel. He had no choice but they had to fight Rudy to get to Rosalina. "Girls, we're going ta' have ta' fight." Buck told them. The she-weasels nodded nervously and followed Buck towards Rudy.

"Hey, Rudy, catch me if you can!" Rosalina yelled up at him. He growled angrily and tried to step on her, but she dodged his foot and began to run. He kept walking on all fours as he continued to try to step on Rosalina like a bug.

"Is that the best you got?" Rosalina taunted. Finally, Rudy got her. He waited for a response. Before he could squash her completely, Rosalina popped out in between his toes and sang, "Pop goes the weasel!"

"Ay, that's my line!" a male voice yelled.

She looked over at the voice and nearly had a panic attack when she saw Buck, Jenna, and Roxanne behind Rudy. Rudy turned his head and growled when he saw his rival with his tooth used as a knife.

"Ay, Rudy! Looking fo' something?" Buck taunted the dinosaur with his knife.

"What are you doing? You're going to get killed!" Jenna yelled at Buck. He gave her a fearless stare and told her sternly, "It'll be all right. You get Rosy and keep the girls safe."

"Okay. Oh, and Buck, I- I -I believe in you." Jenna whispered to him. He smiled at her then looked at Rudy with a fearless glare, "Come and get me, you colossal fossil!" Rudy roared and began to chase his rival through the ferns and trees.

Jenna watched him go then grabbed Rosalina's and Roxanne's paw in hers and ran to find a safe area until the fight was over. They found a hole and hid in there. Jenna looked at them and said sternly, "You girls stay here. I'm going to help Buck. You two take care of each other, okay. I'll be right back."

"I thought that he said for you to stay here." Rosalina reminded her.

"I won't be gone long. Roxanne, take care of your sister now. I'll be right back." the twins nodded and watched Jenna climb out of the hole, leaving them alone.

Jenna scanned around to find Buck, only to run into Momma dinosaur. She looked at her with fear and asked nervously, "Are you Momma dinosaur?" Momma nodded and sniffed her new acquaintance. Jenna giggled a bit then snapped out of it and asked her frantically, "Do you think you can help Buck and I fight Rudy?" Momma nodded and looked back at her kids.

She nudged them and told them in their dinosaur language to stay where they were. They obeyed and watched Momma lift Jenna onto her back and turn her head side-to-side to find the two rivals.

"Whoo!" Buck whooped as he continued to fight Rudy. The baryonyx roared in irritation and slapped the deranged weasel with his tail. Buck dodged the blow and laughed, "Ha! Is that the best you can do, Snowflake?"

Rudy had enough and slammed his tail on a dirt plate on the ground, causing it to throw Buck in the air. Buck screamed as he was close being Rudy's meal, but a female tyrannosaurus rex pushed his rival out of the way.

"Mommy Dino!" Buck sighed in relief then gasped when he saw who was on her back besides him. "Jenna? Wot' are you doing here? Where's Rosy and Roxanne?"

"Don't worry. They're in a hole that is small enough that Rudy can't touch them. Plus, I found Momma and told her to take me to you and help you fight Rudy." Jenna answered.

He nodded then chuckled. "What's so funny?" Jenna asked.

"You must really care about me. You're kind of acting like my motha'." Buck chuckled. She beamed shyly and blushed, "I do care about you, Buck. You've been my very closest best friend, including Rosalina and Roxanne ever since I first met you guys." Buck's heart melted at this and felt like he was on a verge of tears.

He smiled, touched by her words. Jenna smiled back with a blush. "Thanks, Jenna." He smiled at her. Then, she told Momma to let them off.

She obeyed and laid her snout on the ground, letting Buck and Jenna get off. Suddenly, Rudy recovered from the push and shoved Momma. "We need to get away from here." Jenna told Buck sternly. He nodded in agreement and ran behind her with his knife in his left paw. Jenna looked back at Momma with worried eyes then turned her head back on their trail back to where Rosalina and Roxanne were hiding.

In Rosalina's and Roxanne's hiding spot, Roxanne looked at Rosalina with fear and started to twiddle her thumbs nervously. She broke the silence and asked, "Sis, did you see Tim, too?" Rosalina's blue eyes widened and stuttered, "Y-y-yes."

"Me, too." Roxanne reassured her.

"Did somebody say 'Tim'?" ghost Tim chuckled out of nowhere. The girls screamed and backed themselves against the hole wall.

"Get out of here, or I'll- I'll!" Rosalina threatened weakly.

"You'll do what? Come back to me? Oh, wait, you can't!" Tim smirked.

Roxanne lunged at him. Tim disappeared, causing her to fall on her stomach. He reappeared and grabbed Roxanne by the nape of her neck and pushed her against the wall. She grunted in pain. Rosalina watched in fear then growled menacingly. "You girls are toast!" ghost Tim laughed evilly.

Rosalina tried to kick him, but her foot went through him. "Foolish girl, I'm a ghost! There's no way you can defeat me now!" Tim laughed evilly and pushed Rosalina hard on the ground. Rosalina yelped and backed herself against the wall in fear. Tim smirked until he heard someone call, "Rosalina! Roxanne!" The girls sighed in relief then gasped when ghost Tim growled, "This isn't over."

Buck and Jenna crawled into the hole and saw Rosalina on the ground, shaking, and Roxanne rocking back and forth and whimpered silently. "Wot' happened in here?" Buck asked while helping Rosalina up.

"We got attacked by Tim." They shuddered. Jenna gasped softly then said quickly, "Let's get out of here." The twins nodded and climbed out of the hole with Buck giving them a boost.

When they got out of the hole and dusted their fur, they saw Momma Dinosaur run to them. She nudged the weasels to climb on with her kids sitting on her back with worried glances.

Buck let the she-weasels get on first then climbed on last. Momma checked to make sure everyone was on board before speed walking through the ferns and trees.

Rosalina gasped and whispered to Momma, "You're hurt." Momma had a long gash across her chest and deep scratch marks all over her. She pretended not to hear her and kept on walking. Jenna looked at Momma's wounds and told her, "You need to stop and let us help you." Momma rolled her eyes as if she's saying,_ "I'll be fine."_ Jenna placed a paw on her hip.

"Oh, gosh, she's doing 'the pose'!" Roxanne chuckled to Buck, Rosalina, and the tyrannosaurus babies, who were quietly snickering.

"Momma, seriously, you need help!" Jenna snapped. Momma growled at her lowly, causing Jenna to step back a couple of steps.

"Fine." She muttered. Buck chuckled quietly and reassured her, "Nice try." She nodded without a word.

Buck gave Roxanne a nod. She nodded back and asked Jenna with a hint of happiness in her tone, "So, Jen, is there something that you want to tell Rosalina?"

Jenna's eyes widened and smiled, "Oh, Rosalina, guess what! I'm staying down here with you, Buck, and Roxanne!"

"No way! This is great!" Rosalina screamed and hugged Jenna tightly.

Roxanne beamed at Buck. He smiled back then cleared his throat. The she-weasels looked at him with smiles all around. "I knew you would love the news, Rosy." Roxanne shook her head then patted Momma's head.

She looked up at the weasels. "Momma, will you let us down?" Rosalina asked sweetly. Momma nodded and laid her snout on the ground. After the weasels got off Momma, Jenna looked at her with a worried look on her face and asked her, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Momma nodded and gave her a friendly nudge with her snout before walking away from them with her babies still on her back.


	13. Chapter 13

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 13

Night had come a few hours ago and Buck, Jenna, Rosalina, and Roxanne were around their bonfire they made. Rosalina broke the silence with one, small question. "Guys, why did you come back for me?"

They turned their heads at her question. "That's wot' families do, Rosy." Buck answered softly.

"You wouldn't think that we would abandon you, did you?" Roxanne asked her sister with a reassuring smile.

"We all love you way too much not to forgive you for killing Tim. We all know why you did it and I'm sure Roxanne is forever grateful, right Roxanne?" Jenna smiled at the twins.

She nodded and gave her sister a hug. Rosalina hugged back with a small, happy giggle. They pulled away from their hug and Rosalina giggled, "You know, we look like a family, now that Jenna's staying with us. I feel like I have the right to call her my foster mom."

Jenna was touched by this and beamed, "Rosalina, you can always call me your new mother, Sweetheart." Rosalina smiled and hugged her. She hugged back with a tear escaping her right eye.

Suddenly, a white weasel figure came to view, causing the weasels to gasp.

"Don't be afraid." She told them as she made her way towards them. Rosalina and Roxanne knew who she was. Their real mom, Clarissa.

"M-m-mom?" Rosalina and Roxanne stuttered.

"C-c-Clarissa?" Jenna stuttered as well. Clarissa had white fur with black spots like them; she had a heart-shaped birthmark on her left paw -like Rosalina had on the exact same paw-, had her beautiful blue eyes with a hint of hazel in them, and she was wearing an angelic gown wearing the same smile Roxanne had. "Mom!"

"My girls!"

Buck and Jenna watched in awe as Rosalina and Roxanne ran to their ghost mother.

The twins sobbed happily as they hugged their mother tight, afraid to let go. Clarissa hugged them back and sighed, "My beautiful girls, I've been watching you. Rosalina, you have faced your fear of Tim. I'm so proud of you, Sweetheart. Roxanne, my sweet Roxanne, you always stood by your sister's side and never let anything happen to her and your family, I'm so proud of you, too."

"Mom, I would like to introduce you to my foster parents." Rosalina beamed as she walked with Buck and Jenna by her side.

"Mom, this is Buck. My crazy, one-eyed, brave, funny, fearless, and dino-hunting foster dad."

"'Ello, madam." Buck smiled. Clarissa smiled at him gratefully and said, "Thank you for taking care of my daughters. It means so much to me that you kept them in your care. I am forever grateful."

"No' a problem at all, lass. They were a pleasure ta' take care of. I love them so much." Buck smiled back at his foster girls, who were smiling back.

"And this is our new member of our family, Jenna." Roxanne introduced Jenna to Clarissa with a smile. Clarissa's eyes widened at the familiar name and asked, "Jenna, is that really you?"

Jenna nodded and ran to her deceased friend. Clarissa hugged her tight and sighed, "I can't believe it's you! Did the girls give you any trouble?"

"No, not at all. Rosalina warmed up to me instantly when she saw me. Roxanne, well, we sort of got off on the wrong foot, but we're cool now." Jenna pulled out of their hug and wrapped either of her arms around Rosalina's and Roxanne's shoulders.

Clarissa beamed at her and placed a paw on Jenna's shoulder and sighed, "Thank you, too, for taking care of them as well, Jenna. Rosalina and Roxanne warmed up to you, which is good. And, you and Buck would make a cute couple."

"That's what I said." Roxanne chuckled at the coincidence. Clarissa laughed along with her.

Jenna blushed hard at this and giggled as well, Buck especially. "I'm happy to do it, Miss Clarissa." She beamed. Clarissa nodded then looked back at her girls.

She walked over to them and grabbed both of their paws in hers. Rosalina and Roxanne felt something chain-like in their paws. Then, she sighed, "I am so proud of both of you for finding the most responsible and kind mammals down here. Plus, there's something I need to give you." Rosalina and Roxanne looked at each other, confused, and then looked back at their mom.

Buck and Jenna watched the girls walk towards their ghost mother with confusion struck on their faces.

"Girls, these gifts that I will give to you will protect you from Tim and be a gift from me to you." Clarissa explained to them. Rosalina and Roxanne looked at each other, again, and then looked at their deceased mother again.

Then, Clarissa smiled, "Look at what's in your palms." The twins obeyed and looked at their paws and gasped.

Rosalina had a silver pendant with a blue topaz gemstone dangling at the bottom of it. Roxanne, too, had a silver necklace with two silver hearts with one garnet in the middle of both of them.

"Mom, how are necklaces supposed to protect us from Tim?" Roxanne asked while she held her necklace in her paws.

"I was just getting to that. Like I said, the necklaces are the gifts, but the second gift will protect you and your loved ones from Tim." Clarissa explained to her.

"So, what's our second gift?" Rosalina asked as she put her necklace on with Jenna's help.

Clarissa smiled at her daughters then looked at Buck and Jenna. "May I borrow these two for one second?"

They nodded and watched as Rosalina and Roxanne walked through the ferns behind Clarissa.

"Why do we have to hide behind the ferns, Mom?" Roxanne asked her as she patiently tapped her foot-surprisingly.

"Girls, I'm giving both of you holy water if you see Tim again. Then, he should leave you and your family alone." Clarissa told them as she took out two necklaces with a vial dangling at the bottom of each one.

Rosalina looked at the vials and asked, "Aren't those thingies a little small?"

Clarissa chuckled at this then got serious again, but smiled, "They are, but they will get rid of Tim if you splash that stuff on him." She nodded along with Roxanne.

"Thank you, Mom." Roxanne beamed while she lifted her hair as Rosalina helped her get her second necklace around her neck.

"You're welcome, my girls." The ghost she-weasel smiled. Rosalina and Roxanne hugged Clarissa gently. She hugged them back then gasped when she saw a cream-colored male weasel come out of nowhere.

"Surprise!" he laughed evilly, causing all three of the she-weasels to scream and quickly pull out of their embrace.

Buck was pacing back and forth with a worried look on his face. Jenna watched him quietly then walked towards him. "Buck, are you okay?"

He jumped and turned his head to see Jenna looking at him with concerned eyes. "Oh, sorry. I'm just worried about ma' girls. They've been gone fo' hours."

"I'm sure they'll turn up." Jenna reassured him. "But, wot' if Tim has them? Oh no!" Buck panicked.

"Buck." Jenna called out calmly.

"Wot' if he's hurting Rosy?" Buck continued to panic.

"Buck!" Jenna called out louder.

"Wot' if he's abusing both of them?" He still panicked.

"Buck!" Jenna yelled.

"I wouldn't live with myself if something happened ta' Rosy and Roxanne!" He sighed.

"**BUCK!**" Jenna screamed, causing a pair of sleeping long necks to raise their heads at the she-weasel.

Jenna sighed then placed both of her paws on Buck's shoulders with a gentle but firm grip. Buck finally stopped worrying after Jenna screamed his name the last time.

"Buck, look. Just stop worrying about them. They're with their ghost mom. We can trust her. She's their mother and our new deceased friend. Now, calm down and relax." Jenna told him calmly.

"I'm sorry about that, Jen, but, they're ma' girls. I guess I got carried away." Buck sighed. Jenna felt a small smile playing on her lips. She helped him sit down, sitting down next to him.

"It's okay. If they were my girls, I would be the same way." Jenna reassured him.

"They can be your girls, too. After all, you are a new memba' of the family and you're really great with them." Buck smiled.

Jenna averted her gaze and asked shyly. "I am?"

"Yeah, you are. Plus, Rosy took a liking ta' you when we found you and decided ta' help you. Roxanne had a hard time getting used ta' you, but, you two became friends –thank goodness." Buck smiled wider.

She smiled back then rested her head on his shoulder. Buck was taken aback and his only blue eye widened in surprise, but he let himself calm down and let out a sigh.

Jenna sighed, "You know, I think I'm really going to like it here." Buck gulped quietly then choked out. "I know you will." Jenna smiled up at him then saw that her head was on Buck's shoulder and started to lift her head off of him.

"I'm making you feel uncomfortable, aren't I?" Jenna asked. Buck saw hurt in her eyes and sighed, "No, you're no'. I was just taken back, Jenna. That's all."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." He answered with a smile.

"Okay." Jenna stated and rested her head back on his shoulder again. Buck smiled down at her and whispered, "You're no' bad, Jenna. No' bad at all." She whispered back, "You're not bad either."

Buck and Jenna talked and made each other laugh near the fire, forgetting that the girls were still with their mother.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" ghost Tim asked teasingly.

"Stay away from them, Timothy!" ghost Clarissa snapped at him with a glare.

Behind Clarissa, Rosalina and Roxanne were laughing their tails off. "Timothy?" Roxanne asked as she continued to laugh hysterically.

"Who named you that? You're mother?" Rosalina asked as, she too, was laughing.

Tim growled menacingly and yelled, "**ENOUGH!**"

"Oh, what's wrong, Tim? Too embarrassed of your full name?" Clarissa teased with a smirk on her face. Tim roared in anger and ran towards them.

"Girls, now!" Clarissa screamed at Rosalina and Roxanne. They nodded and pulled the stopper off of their vials and splashed Tim with holy water.

"**NO!**" Tim screamed as the holy water hit his ghost form. The last thing of Tim was a leaf note.

Rosalina and Roxanne walked out from behind Clarissa towards the note. Clarissa hesitated to stop them, but they had already started to scan through it.

_Clarissa, _

_I found out that Ben has been murdered by another weasel. I saw the scene with my own eyes. He had cream-colored fur with brown and red eyes and he was holding a sharp stone in his right paw. Can you guess who that was?_

_Your most dependable new husband,_

_Tim_

_P.S: It was me._

Rosalina and Roxanne looked up at their mother and asked at the same time, "Who's Ben?"

Clarissa sighed. She has to tell them the truth. _It's now or never, Clarissa_, her conscience told her. "It's time for me to tell you the truth about your real father, girls." She sighed.

Meanwhile, the fire had burned out hours ago and Rosalina and Roxanne still hadn't showed up. Jenna was curled up in a ball, asleep while Buck sharpened his knife against a stone and scanned through the foliage every five minutes while doing so.

He was really starting to worry about them, but decided not to panic like he did earlier. He got up from the ground and walked towards a sleeping Jenna.

Then, he knelt down beside her and gently shook her shoulder. "Jen." Buck whispered as he continued to shake her shoulder. "Jenna, wake up." He whispered again.

"Just twenty more minutes, dad." Jenna groaned tiredly.

Buck gave her a weirded out look. _Okay._ He thought with a weird look still on his face. He shook his head and tried one more time to wake her up. "Jenna, come on, wake up. It's been hours since Rosy and Roxanne had left and I want ta' look for them." Buck explained a little louder.

Finally, Jenna groaned tiredly and woke up. "Did you say something?" She asked with a yawn. Buck nodded and repeated what he tried to tell her while she was asleep.

"Oh! Okay, do you want me to stay here or go with you?" Jenna asked him.

"Why would I leave ya' here when there are dinos hunting at night? Of course you're comin' with me." Buck smiled while he helped her up.

"I forgot about the dinosaur part. Probably because I'm with three weasels that make me feel safe." Jenna shrugged with a small smirk plastered on her face.

Buck saw her smirk and declared, "We're happy ta' do it." Jenna nodded then her eyes widened –she remembered that they needed to find the girls. "Buck, we should be looking for the girls." Buck's eye widened as well then grabbed his knife from the ground and said, "Let's go find them."

Jenna nodded and followed behind him as they began to look for them.


	14. Chapter 14

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 14

Rosalina and Roxanne were in tears from the story that their ghost mother told them about their real father's death and her relationship with him before they were born. "Mom, why didn't you tell us while you were still alive?" Rosalina asked through tears.

Clarissa, who was in tears as well, sobbed, "I'm so sorry, girls. I'm so sorry. I just didn't want you two to get hurt."

Roxanne hugged Rosalina as she sobbed harder with Rosalina doing the same.

This really broke Clarissa's heart to see her daughters so upset. She snapped out of her thoughts and walked towards the identical twins.

Roxanne looked up from Rosalina's shoulder to stare into Clarissa's beautiful blue eyes that were glazed with tears as well. "Mom, it's okay. We're not mad at you. We're just upset that we didn't get to see him." Roxanne sighed sadly. Clarissa's ears drooped and sniffed, "I know, Sweetheart."

Rosalina pulled out of her sister's hug and ran towards her mother with her arms open wide. Clarissa took the invitation and hugged her daughter tight. Roxanne followed in suit and cried on her mother's shoulder.

After their sob fest, they pulled out of the embrace with tear-stained faces on all around. Breaking the silence, Roxanne sniffed, "Mom, can you take us back to Buck and Jenna, please?"

Clarissa nodded and grabbed Rosalina's and Roxanne's paws in hers as she guided them through the ferns.

Buck used his knife to lift the ferns out of the way as he and Jenna were walking through the foliage.

"Rosalina! Roxanne!" Jenna called out with both of her paws near her mouth to make her calls louder.

Buck scanned around for them until he heard a rustle. "Jen, don't move." He told her quietly.

"What is it? Rudy isn't coming, is he?" Jenna asked nervously. With that thought in his mind, he stood in front of her and gripped his knife tighter in his right paw. "Show yourself, you ova'-sized lizard!" He growled.

Suddenly, Rosalina, Roxanne, and Clarissa walked through the bush, and then smiled at Buck and Jenna.

Buck lowered his knife and stood beside Jenna with an embarrassed smile and chuckle. Rosalina hugged Clarissa before running back to them. Roxanne followed in suit again and did the same.

Clarissa felt so guilty for not telling them about their real father when they were old enough to know, that she didn't even look at her girls.

Jenna saw the sadness and guiltiness in Clarissa's eyes. She walked towards the ghost and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The girls will explain. Anyway, I have to go. Take care of my angels, Buck and Jenna. Goodbye, all of you." And with that, Clarissa disappeared and went back to heaven.

All four of the weasels looked up at the night sky, but didn't see her star that usually shines brighter than the others- Rosalina and Roxanne told them during their trip to the Ice Age world.

Rosalina had a song coming on and sang with a sad tone.

_I can't see your star._

_I can't see your star._

_Though I patiently waited, bedside for the death of today._

_I can't see your star. _

_The mechanical lights of Lisbon frightened it away._

Roxanne joined in with her and sang the next part with her.

_Both: And I'm alone now._

_Me and all I stood for._

_We're wandering now._

_All in parts and pieces, swim lonely._

_Find your own way out._

Buck and Jenna listened to their singing and looked up at the night sky again, still having no sight of Clarissa's star.

_Roxanne: I can't see your star_

_Rosalina: I can't see your star_

_Both: How can the darkness feel so wrong?_

_And I'm alone now._

_Me and all I stood for._

_We're wandering now._

_All in parts and pieces, swim lonely._

_Find your own way out._

Buck felt Jenna's head on his shoulder, crying softly. His ears drooped and wrapped a comforting arm around her while still staring at the night sky.

_Rosalina: So far away._

_It's growing colder without your love._

_Roxanne: Why can't you feel me calling your name?_

_Both: Can't break the silence, it's breaking me!_

_All my fears turn to rage._

Jenna forgot what it was like to be in a family until she met the twins, Buck, and the herd. She still felt so depressed that she didn't get to say goodbye to them. Then, she just bursts into tears. She felt Buck's comforting arm around her shoulders and blushed with a sad smile plastered on her face.

_Both: And I'm alone now._

_Me and all I stood for!_

_We're wandering now._

_All in parts and pieces, swim lonely._

_Find your own way out, now!_

_Hey! _

_Nothing worth fighting for!_

_We're wandering now._

_All in parts and pieces, swim lonely!_

_Find your own way out._

Rosalina and Roxanne finished the song and looked up to finally see their mother's star shine brightly.

Jenna wiped her tears away and looked up at the sky with a wide smile replacing the sad one. Buck looked up as well, and then smiled a bit.

After they looked at Clarissa's star for five minutes, Buck cleared his throat and smiled, "Come on, let's go back ta' the camp."

They all smiled at him and followed him from behind.

When they arrived at their camp, they saw the fire was out. Buck smiled, "You two were gone fo' a while. Wot' happened?"

Rosalina froze in her steps and nodded to Roxanne. She sighed and explained, "Our real father, Ben, he was killed by our step-father, Tim. Mom said that he had hazel eyes- like mine-, he had white fur with black spots -like us-, and she said that he was really overprotective over her before she was preggers with us."

Buck stifled a chuckle when she said his favorite name for a pregnant female, 'preggers'. He paid attention to what Roxanne was telling him and Jenna.

Roxanne nodded to Rosalina. She bit her lip nervously then added, "Then, he left her –like that she-beaver told me. I wonder if she's stalking us- Well, anyway, dad left mom. She was devastated until she met our nightmare, Tim, who acted like he was "so sweet" until they got married. Life became a prison to her. She told us that when we were born, he looked at us with disgust and walked away."

Jenna started to get peeved. _Who in the world would not find a newborn weasel a miracle?_ She thought to herself. She snapped out of her thoughts and continued to listen to their story.

Buck looked like he was about to kill someone in a minute. This angered him so much. _They went through so much. Is that why I hear both of them whimpa' when they're asleep? _Buck thought to himself then shook his thoughts away and continued to listen.

"Then, as we grew, mom was under Tim's power. That meant that she couldn't save me from being beaten and Roxanne from being raped. She told us that if she tried to stop him from abusing us, he would kill her or one of us. I never knew that Roxanne was raped until now. I hope that someday, I will find a mate that will love me for whom I am and not leave me when I'm pregnant with who knows how many kits." Rosalina finished the story.

Buck's eye widened and gasped, "Whoa, whoa , whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA! Don't grow up on me too fast, Rosy."

"Buck, whatever happens in near future, I'll always be your baby." Rosalina smiled.

Buck's heart melted at her words and gave his foster daughter a hug. Rosalina returned the hug until she heard Roxanne smirk, "We're still here."

They looked back at Roxanne and Jenna then laughed quietly with each other. Rosalina smiled, "And, no matter what happens to you, Roxanne, you'll always be Buck's baby as well. Even though were not related in a way."

"I know." Roxanne shrugged. Then, Jenna sighed, "Well, I guess we should be getting some rest."

Rosalina yawned, "Agreed. Come on, sis." Roxanne obeyed and followed her sister to make their own leaf beds.

Buck and Jenna were alone now. Buck brought some more firewood to replace the wood that burned out. He placed them over the ashes and found a rock to use to make another fire.

Then, he looked over at Jenna, who looked like she was bored. He smiled and offered, "Ay', Jenna! Do ya' want ta' make the fire?" Jenna looked up at him then choked out, "Sure."

She walked over to him where he was waiting for her. Buck gave her two rocks and watched as Jenna tried to make the fire. As she continued to try to make their fire, Jenna complemented, "Your girls are really talented, you know?"

"Yes, they are. I remember when I first heard them singing. They have beautiful voices. I'll give them that." Buck agreed while he watched Jenna try to make the fire with the rocks.

After what may be her tenth try, with still no sparks coming from the rocks, Jenna admitted, "I need help."

"All right. No problem. I'll teach ya' how ta' do it." Buck obliged and made his way over to her.

Jenna blushed as he grabbed the paw she was holding over the rock she was holding in the other paw. She paid attention to what he was teaching her and let his paw guide hers through this new skill.

With one last try, a spark came out of the rock and onto the firewood. "Be careful no' ta' burn yourself when ya' blow on it." Buck instructed. Jenna nodded and gently blew on the small fire until a big ball of flames shot out in front of her face. She quickly backed away from the fire with a loud scream.

"Jenna, ya' did it!" Buck yelled happily.

"I did?" She asked. She lifted her head from the ground and smiled as she saw the firewood burning from the flame she was taught to make.

Jenna quickly lifted herself off the ground and jumped up and down excitedly. "Woo! I did it! I mean…we did it." She smiled shyly.

"No, you did it. I only helped." Buck told her.

"You deserve the credit for helping me." Jenna dismissed.

"All right. We did it. Happy?"

"Yes." She chuckled. Buck shook his head with a smile.

Suddenly, Rosalina and Roxanne came back with a bundle of leaves in their paws. Jenna ran over to them and helped make their leaf beds for the night. As Jenna got the twins to sleep after several adjustments to their beds, she kissed both of their foreheads, along with Buck, and whispered, "Goodnight. We love you."

Buck and Jenna walked away from their sleeping area to the bonfire and sat down. "Do you think that Rosalina and Roxanne will find mates when they're ready for a relationship with handsome guys out there someday?" Jenna asked after a small silent moment.

"No' you, too." Buck groaned.

"What? Rosalina was hoping to find the perfect mate. I just thought if you felt that your girls were ready for a relationship." Jenna shrugged.

"I know, but I'm afraid that if they do find their mates, they'll forget about me." He sighed sadly.

"Oh, Buck, even if they do, they'll still love you." She reassured him.

"I know, but still-"

"Buck, listen to me. Rosalina and Roxanne love you too much that they will never forget about you. You're their foster father. They never stop talking about you. They adore you, even though you're crazy and love danger, they still adore you. Just be grateful that you have them as your own family, including me." Jenna cut him off sternly.

Buck sighed in defeat, "I am grateful fo' that. Jen, you're really good at talking some sense inta' me." Jenna nodded then she blushed. He saw her blush and asked with a chuckle, "Why are ya' blushin' fo', lass?"

Jenna giggled nervously, "You know how the twins and Clarissa kept saying that we could make a cute couple."

"Oh, yeah! Gosh, they must really want a metal or somethin'." He shook his head.

"They just need to wait and see what our future unfolds for us. That's the only time that we'll find out if we will end up together or just be best friends." Jenna explained.

"Well put, Jen, very well put." Buck agreed.

After a few minutes of silence, Jenna sighed. "I'll fix the leaf beds."

"You do that. I believe by tomorrow, we should be back ta' our home and the girls will show ya' around." Buck informed her while he relaxed by the fire.

Jenna came out of the bushes with a large bundle of leaves in her paws. She grunted from behind one of the leaves, "Will you help me, please?"

Buck chuckled a little when he saw her struggling with the leaves, then stopped and walked over to her to help her carry the large leaves.

After they made their beds, Jenna breathed out tiredly, "Thanks."

"Mmhm." Was Buck's only reply as he lay down on the leaf bed. Jenna did the same then sighed, "Have you ever felt like you just didn't want to exist and not feel hurt anymore?"

"Yes and no, but I always try ta' be grateful fo' wot' I have. Like, Rosy and Roxanne, fo' example. If they hadn't fallen down here in the first place, they would still be mistreated by that beast." Buck growled at the end of his answer. Jenna sighed quietly and nodded understandingly.

Breaking their brief silence, Buck asked, "Are you going ta' get some shut-eye or are ya' going ta' stay up a little longa'?"

"I'm probably going to stay up a little longer." Jenna answered while laying on her back and looking at the stars.

"All right, but if ya' start ta' get tired, just wake me up." Buck yawned and settled into his leaf bed and fell asleep quickly.

Jenna sighed then looked back up at the night sky. Then, she whispered to Clarissa's star, "Clarissa, what should I do to stop missing my parents? I never stop dreaming about them and thinking about them. Well, now that I'm with Buck and his girls, I feel like I have a family of my own, but the memory of their deaths break my heart and it won't stop replaying in my head. If only I could see them one last time, it would make me feel happy again. Please, Clarissa, protect us while I still have a new family to feel happy with. I don't want to lose another loved one. Thanks, Clarissa."

She looked down and stared at a peacefully sleeping Buck next to her leaf bed. She quietly crawled over to him and kissed his good eye. "Goodnight, Buck." She whispered. Then, she walked over to Rosalina and Roxanne's sleeping forms in their leaf beds and kissed their foreheads again and whispered, "Goodnight, girls." Then, she crawled back into her leaf bed and looked at the night sky again and whispered, "Goodnight, Clarissa. Keep us safe tonight." With that, she fell asleep.

Buck's POV

I was peacefully asleep until I felt a pair of lips on my good eye and heard a soft female voice whisper, "Goodnight, Buck."

I slowly opened my eye and saw Jenna kissing Rosalina and Roxanne's foreheads again then whispered to them, "Goodnight, girls." Then, she walked back to where she and I were sleeping.

I quickly closed my eye as she made it back to her leaf bed, but I kept my ears perked up to hear her whisper goodnight to my girls' real mother. After a few seconds, I assumed that she was asleep and woke back up.

"Time fo' me ta' keep watch." I muttered quietly to myself before getting out of bed quietly to retrieve my knife, a.k.a: Rudy's tooth. Then, I found a small stone and began to sharpen my weapon; smiling at the she-weasels' peaceful sleeping forms behind me. That's when I heard Rudy roar from a distance.

I smirked then whispered, "Goodnight, Rudy."


	15. Chapter 15

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 15

"Roxanne, get up." Rosalina whispered in her sister's ear with Buck and Jenna behind her.

"Just twenty more minutes." Roxanne groaned quietly. Rosalina huffed then whispered louder, "Roxanne, come on. Get up. It's morning. We're taking Jenna to our home."

"Leave me be." Roxanne muttered with a yawn.

Rosalina turned around to see Buck and Jenna snickering quietly behind her then sighed in frustration. Then, she tried again, took a deep breath then screamed, "**WAKE UP!**"

Roxanne let out an ear-piercing scream as she fell out of her leaf bed and yelled, "What the flip?"

Rosalina, Buck, and Jenna laughed hard at her reaction to the wake up call. Roxanne growled at them and snapped, "Don't you ever do that again!"

Jenna sighed after she was done laughing, "Here, here. It's over now. Let's not get Roxanne ticked off." Buck and Rosalina finally stopped laughing and sighed happily.

Rosalina chuckled. "I gave you two warnings. Now, you've paid the price." Buck shook his head then picked up his knife from the ground, removing a smudge on the tip of it.

He turned around to face the she-weasels and smiled, "All right, follow us, Jen. You're going ta' love our place." Jenna nodded.

"You two keep walkin'. I need ta' talk ta' Jenny." Buck ordered Rosalina and Roxanne, who obeyed his command without a word.

As Buck and Jenna walked behind the twins, Buck draped his arm over Jenna's shoulders in a friendly manner, causing Jenna to blush a dark shade of red. He chuckled then asked her, "Jen, last night, I could've sworn I felt you kiss ma' good eye. Did ya' mean ta' do that in an affectionate way or in a friendly way?"

Jenna burst into a nervous fit of giggles then replied, "It was the second choice. Sorry. You're not mad, are you?"

"No, I was just wonderin'." Buck sighed. Jenna's ears perked up when Buck's arm released her shoulders. He whispered. "I'm going ta' walk beside ma' girls now. Let me know if you have anymo' questions."

_Why am I so shy around him? Oh no! I'm not having feelings for him, am I? Hold up, Jenna! You and Buck are just best friends. Not anything more, or are we? Stop it, Jenna! Get a hold of yourself, girl! I don't have a chance to be his mate. If I told him how I felt, would he be horrified or shocked? Oh, he would be horrified!_

_Calm down, Jenna! No! What would he see in me if he had feelings for me? Would it be my body, my face, my eyes, my personality, or everything about me? What would Rosalina and Roxanne think about me and Buck together? Would Rosalina be shocked or jealous because of the lack of attention from her own foster father while Roxanne is somewhat happy about it? I'm so confused. _Jenna was feeling dizzy from all of her thoughts and began to stumble to the ground.

Rosalina, Roxanne, and Buck turned around by a sound of a soft thud from behind them. They turned their heads to see Jenna on the ground, passed out. "Jenna, are you okay?" Rosalina and Roxanne panicked as they ran towards her unconscious body on the rough ground. Buck ran over to them with a small, panic-stricken look on his face.

Jenna's POV

I stumbled to the ground with a thud, barely feeling the impact as I fell. I didn't hear Rosalina and Roxanne's panicked voices for that I was out cold. Yeah, thanks to my thoughts.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms from underneath me and my body leaving the ground. I was being held in someone's arms. My hearing became clear again and I heard a male voice ask my unconscious self, "Jen, can ya' hear me?"

It was Buck. He must've heard that thud I made when I fell, along with Rosalina and Roxanne.

Finally, I let my eyes flutter open to see Buck's face almost close to mine.

End of POV.

"Jenna, you're up! Are you all right, lass?" Buck asked her. Before she could answer, she started to blush. He was holding her bridle-style above the ground. She snapped back to reality then answered, "I'm fine."

She jumped out of his arms quickly; not daring to look at Buck for that she was embarrassed and trotted towards Rosalina and Roxanne.

"Jenna, what happened?" Rosalina and Roxanne asked.

"I'm about to tell you." Jenna sighed sadly. They looked at her with confusion and walked along side her, waiting for her to explain.

Jenna sighed, "Girls, I don't know how I'm going to put this. I think I may have feelings for Buck." She winced, expecting shocked gasps, but instead, she heard excited screaming.

Rosalina's POV

Oh, my gosh! I can't believe it! Jenna has feeling for our foster father! I knew this would come soon. Forget about me saying they would be best friends only! This is great! Oh, I have to tell Buck!

End of POV.

Roxanne's POV

I knew it! I knew this would happen! I so have to tell Buck! He will be so shocked!

End of POV.

Jenna calmed the girls down then whispered to them, "Please, don't tell Buck. I don't know what his reaction will be. I'll tell him how I feel when the time comes. He'll probably be horrified. What would he see in me?"

Rosalina gasped then whispered sharply, "Quit that kind of talk, Jenna! I can name a ton of things he would see in you! Roxanne, name some!"

"Okay! One, he thinks that you're good with kids and us. Second, you are very pretty and a little slimmer than other weasels I've known. Third, you have a great personality. Fourth, we _like_ you! Fifth, you act so motherly towards us. Sixth, uh….I don't think I can think of any other reasons. Anyway, I think Buck likes everything about you. You never know when he'll express his feeling for you to –well- you." Roxanne explained.

Jenna's sad smile faded and turned into a soft smile. "Thanks, girls. I can't wait to see your home."

"Trust me, you'll love it there." Rosalina beamed with a small giggle.

"It's pretty cool." Roxanne smiled. Jenna smiled back until she realized that Buck was waiting for them.

She cleared her throat then said, "Buck's waiting on us."

"Right." Rosalina and Roxanne nodded and ran a little past Buck then walked.

Buck walked back over to Jenna. "Y-you h-h-heard?" Jenna stuttered nervously. She had butterflies in her stomach as he came closer. To her horror, he said, "Yes."

Jenna began to blush extremely hard that her cheeks were red as blood. "Jen, is it true? Is it true that you have feelings fo' me?" Buck asked her.

"I-it's h-h-hard t-t-to e-explain." Jenna stuttered again and turned her head shyly, not wanting him to see how embarrassed she was.

Buck placed a paw on her shoulder and told her sternly, "Jen, you can tell me. I won't get mad."

Finally, Jenna looked at him then sighed, "Buck, I wish I could tell you, but I'm still a little nervous about what your reaction would be if I told you my feelings for you. Now, we've got to catch up with Rosalina and Roxanne before they run into trouble."

Before she could run after them, Buck grabbed a hold of her left wrist and whispered, "Let me know if ya' want ta' talk more." She nodded then bee-line sprinted after the twins.

Buck sighed then he had a list of thoughts in his head. _I don't know wot's gotten inta' Jenna, but she is acting mo' shyer than she usually is. She must have feelings fo' me, but she's too scared ta' express them ta' me. I think I may 'ave feelings fo' her. Wait! Am I really going ta' replace ma' pineapple wife with a she-weasel who understands me? Why shouldn't I? She is a lovely weasel with a good personality, but then ma' pineapple wife, she can be sweet at times, she's quiet all the time. _

_Perhaps, it's time I move on and consider Jenna ma' partner. Wait! Wot' would Rosy and Roxanne think of me and Jenna in a relationship? Would they be jealous of her or would they feel neglected? I don't want the girls ta' feel like that. Maybe they'll be excited and shocked._

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the she-weasels calling for him to catch up. He obeyed and ran after them.

When he finally caught up with them, he could've sworn he heard Jenna sniff. He turned his head to find that she was crying. His ears drooped at this sight and walked behind Rosalina and Roxanne to walk beside Jenna.

"Jen, are you all right?" Buck asked her. Jenna quickly turned her head the other way. She didn't want him to see her cry. She lied. "I'm fine, really." Buck didn't believe her. He said smartly, "You don't sound like you're fine."

"Buck, I'm fine. I-I n-n-need t-to be a-alone." Jenna stuttered then ran through the bushes.

"Jen, wait!" Buck called out but he knew that it was too late to stop her. He had an idea.

"Rosy, Roxanne, get in that tree with a hole through it. I'll be right back." Buck commanded them while he pointed at the tree in front of them. They obeyed and made a bee-line for the tree.

_That's done._ He thought as he ran through the bushes and followed the tracks that Jenna left behind.

Jenna sighed sadly and looked up at the sky then to a small puddle that showed her reflection. _Maybe a song will cheer me up_. She thought to herself then sang.

_If you love somebody, you better lead it out._

_Don't hold it back while you're trying to figure it out._

_Don't be timid._

_Don't be afraid to hurt._

_Run toward the flame, run toward the fire._

_Hold on to all your worth._

_Cause the only real pain your heart could ever know._

_Is the feeling of regret when you don't let your feelings show._

_So did you say it?_

_Did you mean it?_

_Did you say it on the line? Did you make it count?_

_Did you say it in time?_

_Did you say it out loud?_

_Cause if you did hun, then you lived some._

_And that feeling inside, it's called satisfied._

_Busy people walkin' by._

_I can't help but worry some._

_So many things to do, so little love gets done._

_Empty hearts everywhere drowning in the dine of thirst._

_But if you want love, it's not that tough._

_Start by giving it first._

_Cause the only real pain your heart will ever know._

_Is the feeling of regret when you don't let your feelings show._

_So did you say it?_

_Did you mean it?_

_Did you lay it on the line? Did you make it count?_

_Did you look them in the eye and did they feel it?_

_Did you say it in time?_

_Did you say it out loud? _

_Cause if you did, hun, then you lived some._

_And that feeling inside, that's called satisfied._

_Deer were made to run._

_And the sun was meant to shine above._

_And the flowers were made to bloom._

_Then, there's us._

_We were born to love._

_We were born to love._

_So did you say it?_

_Did you mean it? _

_Did you lay it on the line? Did you make it count?_

_Did you look them in the eye and did they feel it?_

_Did you say it in time? _

_Did you say it out loud?_

_Cause if you did, hun, well then you lived some._

_And that feeling inside, that's called satisfied._

After her song, she gasped when she heard a round of applause from behind her. It was Buck.

She gasped again. She just sang about love. _Now who says she's not in love, Jenna? _She thought to herself. She blushed, "You heard me?"

"Aye, I heard you singing when I got close. When I finally found ya', I realized you really were singing. So, I just stayed quiet and listened. You have a nice voice, too, ya' know?"

She blushed, "Really?" He just nodded.

Jenna started to get nervous. She was afraid that if she told him the song was for him, he would be shocked. She had to face the music and tell him.

Finally, she whispered to where he couldn't hear her, "It's for you."

"Come again?" Buck asked; not hearing what she just said.

"The song is for you." She said a little louder.

Buck was surprised and touched at the same time. He felt his cheeks burning. He was blushing.

Then, Buck saw Jenna with a small sad look on her face. She sighed, "If you don't feel the same way, I understand. I know you're trying to move on from the loss of your first lover. I just had to express my feelings by song. I-"

She was cut off when Buck walked towards her then wrapped an arm around her waist, causing her to blush harder than she ever had before.

"Buck." Jenna blushed.

"Jen, do ya' really have feelings fo' me?" Buck asked her in a serious tone. She just nodded. She felt her body heat warming up and her legs trembling nonstop.

Jenna's eyes went wide when Buck closed his good eye and his face was getting closer to hers. "What are you doing?" She asked nervously as she back away a little.

Buck's opened his good eye and saw Jenna blushing a dark, red, blood color on her cheeks and her eyes wide-eyed. He chuckled nervously. Jenna giggled quietly as she grabbed his paw that was caressing her back and held both of his paws in hers. "I think we should get back to the girls." She sighed.

"Sorry. I didn't make ya' uncomfortable, did I?" Buck asked; feeling bad.

"No, I just panicked a little. I didn't know what you were doing earlier. Now, we need to go back and get Rosalina and Roxanne."

"Yeah, come on, lass." Buck sighed as well, disappointed that he didn't express his feelings for Jenna. She followed behind him with a guilty look on her face as well as Buck.

As they were walking back to reunite with Rosalina and Roxanne, Buck looked over at Jenna. _Maybe when we show Jen our home, I'll be able to tell her how I feel when we're alone._ Buck thought to himself. He smiled at the thought, causing Jenna to smile back as if she had the same thought.

_I really do have feelings for Buck I'm just afraid to show them. Why did I cower from my almost first kiss? I probably made him feel bad. I'm so stupid!_ Jenna thought to herself; removing the smile off of her face.

Rosalina looked over at Roxanne who was watching for Buck and Jenna. She sighed and got up from the wooden floor then walked over to Roxanne.

"Hey, Roxanne, are they back yet?" Rosalina asked her as she made her way to her twin sister.

Roxanne's turned her head around to see Rosalina beside her. "No, but they might be doing something they don't want us to see. Like kissing. Oh, la, la!" She smirked. Rosalina giggled at this then replied, "Maybe."

They sighed happily after the little joke Roxanne made. Then, Rosalina saw that she was tired and insisted politely, "Sis, why don't you rest for a bit. I'll watch for them."

Roxanne nodded with a tired smile and walked away from the entrance in the middle of the tree then laid down on the wooden floor and let herself rest. _What would I do without Rosalina?_ She thought happily in her sleep.

Buck and Jenna were almost back to reuniting with the twins until Jenna tripped over her own tail –again.

Buck turned around to see Jenna on the ground when he heard her yelp. "Tripped ova' your tail, lass?" He asked as he helped her up.

"Yes." Jenna answered while dusting herself off.

She looked him in the eye then asked, "Buck, when I was singing, did you listen to the words?"

"Yeah."

_"_I'm so sorry. I-It's just me being naïve. I guess I decided to sing something and I guess this song came to mind."

_Stupid, I made her feel bad!_ Buck angrily scolded himself in his head and mentally slapping himself as well.

Jenna looked at him as if he were crazy (A/N: Which we all know he is, lol.). "Buck, I hope I didn't make you feel bad when I cowered away from that…um…kiss. I was just scared. I didn't know what to do." She whimpered softly.

Buck wrapped an arm around her shoulders and sighed, "I know, lass. I feel bad fo' almost bustin' a move on ya'. I knew you may've been nervous and I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Buck was taken aback from her reply and looked at her, confused; stopping in his tracks.

She shrugged with a small smile plastered on her face. Jenna gave him a soft pat on the shoulder then giggled, "Come on! We don't want Rosalina and Roxanne to wait very long."

Buck's lips stretched into a smile after that friendly gesture. He snapped out of his brief trance and ran to catch up with Jenna.


	16. Chapter 16

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 16

Rosalina and Roxanne waited patiently in the tree for Buck and Jenna to come back. "Where are they?" Rosalina asked herself out loud as she paced back and forth.

"They should be coming back right about-" Roxanne started. She woke up some time ago. She was cut off by two familiar voices, "Now!" They both barked happily.

Buck and Jenna jumped into the tree with smiles on their faces.

"It's about time!" Roxanne laughed as she hugged them.

"We missed you two!" Rosalina beamed as, she too, hugged them.

They smiled as they returned the hug. They finally released each other. Rosalina asked slyly with a smirk on her face, "So, what were you two lovebirds doing while we were waiting inside this tree?"

Buck and Jenna gave each other shy smiles then faced Rosalina and Roxanne. "Come on. Fess up!" Roxanne smirked, along with her sister.

Jenna looked at Buck shyly before sighing. "Fess up, already!" Roxanne screamed, wanting to find out what her foster father and Jenna were doing while she and Rosalina were hiding. Jenna giggled quietly and answered, "We just went for a walk back to you girls. Nothing special." She nodded at Buck –who looked confused then realized she was trying to cover up what really happened between them.

He nodded back with a smirk, "Yep. Nothin' special at all while we were gone." Jenna smiled at him then mouthed, "_We'll tell them what really happened tonight."_

_"All right." _He mouthed back.

Roxanne knew –including Rosalina- that there was something going on between the two. Rosalina knew that look on her twin sister's face. She was up to something. Rosalina looked back to Buck and Jenna and smiled, "You two go on out. We'll be out in a minute." They nodded and climbed out of the tree.

"Sis, what are you thinking?" She asked Roxanne, who still had that mischievous look on her face.

"I just know that they are so into each other. I'm thinking that we should sing a romance song to spice things up." Roxanne explained.

"So, you're saying that you want to get Buck and Jenna….._together, _together? You know, in a boyfriend-slash-girlfriend relationship?"

"Exactly. We need to come up with a song to sing for them tonight. That's our goal." Roxanne answered. Rosalina liked where this plan was going so far and thought of a good song to sing to them tonight.

Finally, her brain hatched an idea. "I know a great, romantic song we can sing for them tonight!" Rosalina shouted in a whisper.

"Lay it on me, sister!" Her twin grinned.

"Wot's taking them so long?" Buck wondered from the outside of the tree. As for Jenna, she was leaning against the bottom of the tree, smiling at a small caterpillar that was inching across her feet. She picked it up from the ground and placed it on a giant leaf that was beside her. "There you go, little guy." She beamed as she watched the caterpillar inch from her paw to the leaf.

Buck smiled softly at her from behind. Then, he walked towards her without her knowing for that she was still watching the insect inch around the leaf. "He won't be a little guy fo' long. He'll be a big fella soon. Didn't I tell ya' that I knew one when he was a caterpilla' befo' he came out?" He smiled at her.

Jenna jumped then sighed in relief that it was just Buck. She giggled in reply, "I think you did. Gosh, the girls are taking a while. I think they wanted to talk in private." He just nodded in agreement.

"Jen, I think the girls are up ta' something." Buck told her after a few minutes of silence.

"Do you think they'll try to set a trap on us?" Jenna asked with a light pink blush started to appear on both of her cheeks. Buck caught her blush. He knew what she was talking about: a trap to get them to be more than best friends. _I'm goin' ta' find out if they're planning something on us. They wouldn't tell me though. Unless. Rosy, she'll always tell me wot''s goin' on. I just have ta' tickle her until she spits their plan out._ He thought to himself.

He snapped out of his thoughts then answered, "I know wot' you're talkin' about. I've got ta' get them ta' tell me their little strategy."

"How're you going to do that?"

"I'll try ticklin' Rosy. If that doesn't work, then I don't know." He explained. Jenna nodded then asked, "Does Rosalina tell you anything if you tickle her?" He nodded with a chuckle.

After Rosalina told Roxanne the perfect love song to sing for Buck and Jenna, Roxanne stood there quietly then squealed, "Rosalina, you're a genius!"

"I am?"

"Yes. That song sounds perfect. We'll wait for Buck and Jenna to be alone. Then, we sing the song in our side of the home." She explained.

"I hope the plan works." Rosalina giggled.

"It will. Trust me, honey." Roxanne said in her trademark sassy tone, causing Rosalina to chuckle.

"Typical, Roxanne." She muttered to herself.

She stopped chuckling to hear Buck's voice from the outside of the tree, "Ay! You two comin' or no'?"

"We're coming!" They screamed.

"Don't forget about our plan." Roxanne whispered to her twin as they climbed out of the tree with innocent smiles on both of their faces.

"What took you two so long?" Jenna asked them.

"Oh, nothing." Roxanne sighed; giving her sister a wink. Rosalina nodded. She really didn't want to lie to them, but she and her sister were on a secret mission. That meant that she couldn't tell Buck or Jenna what was going on. As much as she hated doing this, she followed in with the plan and walked past Jenna.

"Right. Let's go, lassies." Buck smiled as he walked in front of Jenna and Roxanne. They nodded and sped-walked after him.

As they walked, Roxanne and Jenna were talking to each other while Rosalina gave Buck a small smile. He smiled back. Then, he asked, "Lass, do ya' have any plans fo' tonight?" _I got 'er now._ Buck smirked to himself.

_I'm in trouble now._ Rosalina thought nervously. She stuttered, "N-n-no, n-n-not r-r-really."

"Oh, really, lass?" Her foster father asked slyly. Rosalina was in for it now. To get Rosalina to spill, Buck instructed, "Jen, Roxy, go on ahead. We'll catch up in a minute." They obeyed and walked ahead of them.

Buck smirked slyly; causing Rosalina to do her 'uh-oh' face expression. He walked behind her then started tickling her sides. She screamed and laughed as he tickled her then fell to the ground, still laughing and screaming.

"Wot's goin' on, Rosy?" Buck growled playfully as he continued to tickle Rosalina.

"N-n-n-nothing!" Rosalina stuttered in between screams and laughs.

"Tell me!"

"Never!" She laughed with tears brimming around her eyes. Buck pinned her to the ground and held her paws against the dirty ground as he began to tickle her underarms.

Rosalina screamed and laughed hysterically, causing a few nearby herbivore dinosaurs to look at the father-and-daughter moment.

Buck was really enjoying this. He was enjoying the fact that he was torturing Rosalina by tickling her until she told him what was going on in her and Roxanne's hideout. He started to laugh as he continued to torture her. Then, Rosalina pinned Buck down with all her remaining strength and began to tickle Buck. He laughed uncontrollably then barked happily when Rosalina ran away from him, "Ay! Where ya' goin'?"

Rosalina ran to catch up with Roxanne and Jenna, who were waiting patiently for them further away. She screamed when she saw that Buck was on her tail. "Help me!" She laughed as she hid behind Jenna.

Buck was panting and chuckling tiredly when he made his way over to the she-weasels. Jenna giggled at him softly before she asked him, "Ready?"

"Yeah." Buck panted. He looked around for his knife until he saw Jenna remove her left paw from behind her back with his knife in her paw.

"Looking for this?" Jenna asked.

"Thanks." Buck smiled as she handed him the knife, causing his paw to land on top of Jenna's.

They blushed and chuckled nervously while Rosalina and Roxanne were giggling behind them. Jenna handed him the knife, patting his paw as she did so. He smiled a bit before smirking, "Now, I'm ready."

The she-weasels shook their heads but smiled then walked behind Buck, except for Rosalina and Roxanne. Buck gave Rosalina his_ 'I'm going to eventually find out what you two are doing.'_ face. Rosalina giggled nervously. Roxanne, who also caught his gaze, just smirked at him.

Jenna sighed through her nose as she took in the scenery from behind until she heard a loud roar from a distance.

She ran closer to Buck and the twins, who were clinging onto him nervously. Buck only smirked; Rosalina was scared, but she tried her best to be brave like Buck, but failed. "B-b-buck." Jenna and Roxanne stuttered nervously.

"I'm no' gonna let him get ya'. Besides, he's far away from us. Come on, now. Let's keep goin'." Buck reassured them. They nodded and Rosalina and Roxanne released Buck then walked behind him.

They were almost to their home when Jenna asked the fearless weasel, "Buck, why are you not afraid of Rudy? He's….he's-"

"I was afraid of him when I first encountered him. Now, I'm just taunting and riding him like an insane mammal that I am." Buck chuckled, cutting Jenna's question off as well. She laughed quietly at his answer.

Behind Buck and Jenna, Rosalina was taking in the fresh air until a small butterfly flew around her. She giggled as the beautiful blue butterfly landed on her nose. Her nose began to feel itchy. Suddenly, she sneezed –causing the butterfly to fly off her nose. "Bless you." Jenna, Buck, and Roxanne responded.

"Thank you." Rosalina giggled happily.

The moment was over when Rudy appeared; blocking their path to their home. The she-weasels –except Rosalina- began to whimper. Buck and Rosalina got in front of Jenna and Roxanne protectively. They both whispered, "Hello, Rudy."

The baryonyx let out an ear-deafening roar. "**RUN!**" Buck screamed. The she-weasels didn't need to be told twice. They bee-line sprinted through the jungle. "Sis, wherever Jenna runs, follow her! I'll hide behind this tree." Rosalina screamed and pointed to where she said she was going to hide.

"Wot'! Rosy, wot' are ya' doin'?" Buck yelled.

"This will work. Trust me!" Rosalina screamed. He nodded then stopped running and smirked up at Rudy.

"Lookin' fo' somethin', big guy?" He taunted Rudy with his knife –Rudy's tooth. Rudy growled lowly at him. "Then, why don't ya' come and get it?" He asked. Rudy took the invitation and began to chase the weasel.

Jenna ran blindly through the jungle with Roxanne behind her. Then, they ran into an unhappy guanlong. Jenna stopped running abruptly, causing Roxanne to bump into her and fall on her rump.

Jenna giggled anxiously, "H-h-hi." The guanlong screeched. Roxanne screamed and held Jenna's paw and ran back to where Rosalina was hiding.

Rosalina panted tiredly behind a tree. She leaned to the side to watch Buck and Rudy brawl. Then, she screamed when something touched her.

"Rosalina, it's just us." Roxanne reassured her with Jenna behind her. Rosalina sighed in relief then her ears perked up when she heard a scream. They leaned to the side then gasped to see Buck in the air with Rudy's mouth open, preparing Buck for his death.

Jenna scanned through her surroundings until she found a vine and two trees that were a few inches apart. Her brain hatched an idea. She could tie the long vine to both of the trees and launch herself towards Buck's direction and push him away from Rudy's mouth.

"Girls, follow me!" Jenna commanded. They obeyed and followed Jenna to the two trees. "Grab that vine, tie both of the ends on both of the trees then pull it back with me in between it and launch me." She instructed them while she watched him fall. Gravity began to pull Buck down. To his horror, Rudy's hungry mouth was open, waiting to eat him.

Rosalina and Roxanne worked quickly. When the slingshot was ready, Jenna got in the middle of it then screamed, "Pull the vine back. Quick!" She looked back at the falling weasel again. Buck was falling closer to the dinosaur's mouth and he was still screaming.

The she-weasels obeyed and did as they were instructed to do. Once they pulled her back, Jenna screamed, "Now!" They let go of the vine and watched Jenna fearlessly launch herself towards Buck, who was almost inside Rudy's mouth.

Buck closed his eye, ready to fall to his death, until he felt something push him out of the way. He landed on the ground, unharmed, and then turned his head to see who saved him. He gasped when he saw an unconscious Jenna lying on the ground. "Jenna!" He called out worriedly then glared up at his rival.

Rosalina and Roxanne gasped at the scene. "What've we done?" Roxanne whispered. Rosalina reached her boiling point and ran towards the albino dinosaur, full-speed.

"Sis, what are you doing?" Roxanne screeched.

"I'm going to help Buck!" Rosalina yelled then screamed when a guan long ran out from the ferns and leapt on her.

"Buck, help!" Roxanne screamed.

Buck turned around and gasped to see Rosalina pinned down by a guan long. He quickly ran towards them and stabbed the chicken-headed dinosaur in the side. Before it died, he managed to graze Rosalina's arm. She screamed in pain and watched the dinosaur die a slow, painful death.

"Lass, get you and your sister somewhere safe. I'll handle Rudy." He instructed Roxanne. She obeyed with no words spoken and helped Rosalina run to safety.

He looked back at Rudy then turned his head quickly find some leaf-camouflaged butterflies from a short distance (A/N: I didn't know what kind of butterflies or moths they were, but they were the kind that was in the movie.). He ran towards them while screaming, "Shoo! Shoo! Come on! Move it!"

The butterflies flew away from the ferns and leaves to Rudy's head. Rudy shook his head and let out a few aggravated growls. Buck whooped as he lunged himself towards his rival's snout with a very long vine in his right paw.

Finally, Buck tied Rudy head to toe and smirked at the downed dinosaur. He walked up to his rival and sighed, "Better luck next time, snowflake." Then, he looked over at Jenna's still unconscious body.

He ran over to her and fell on his knees beside her. He lifted her upper body from the ground. He panicked, "Jenna, are you all right? Say somthin', lass!" No answer. He gasped then shook her gently. "Come on, Jenny. Please, wake up." He whispered. She still didn't answer. He sighed sadly. _Curse you, Rudy!_ He thought furiously as he still held Jenna's unconscious body.

Suddenly, Rosalina and Roxanne ran to them and collapsed next to Jenna's lifeless form. Buck turned his head then gasped in horror, "Rosy, wot' happened?"

Rosalina had a long gash running down her arm and blood was dripping off the tips of her claws. Her ears were pressed against her head. Roxanne explained, "That guan long grazed her arm and the gash looks really bad." Buck winced at her wound then instructed, "Roxanne, watch Jenna fo' a second. I'm going ta' get a leaf."

"What for?"

"I'm going ta' stop the bleeding on Rosy's arm."

"I knew that." She shrugged.

He quickly ran back towards the twins and placed a good-sized leaf over Rosalina's gash. She hissed and whimpered in pain. "I know it hurts, Rosy. I'm gonna fix it." He shushed her. She bit her bottom lip in pain.

Thirty minutes later, Rosalina's wound finally stopped bleeding and Jenna was still out cold. Buck wrapped the leaf around her arm then tied the ends together to keep the leaf from falling off. "All done. That wasn't so bad, was it, lass?" He smiled. She smiled back. "I think my paw is feeling better."

"The one that you hit against an ice wall, I suppose?"

"Yep." She answered while she began to untie the leaf that was around her injured paw. Buck hissed in pain when he saw a long scar that ran across the palm of her paw. "Lass, that's a bad-lookin' scar ya' have there." He winced. She nodded in agreement. "Hey, you guys, Jenna's still not up yet." Roxanne informed them, not looking away from the unconscious she-weasel in front of her.

Buck looked at Jenna's unconscious body on the ground. _She probably had a bad impact when she fell._ He thought. The girls stared at him, waiting for him to say something. He cleared his throat and sighed, "I guess I'll have ta' carry 'er."

Roxanne whispered over to Rosalina, "Did you hear that? He's going to carry her to our home. Doesn't that sound romantic?" Her twin sister laughed and nodded in agreement.

Buck rolled his eye; he heard what Roxanne asked her sister from behind him. He lifted Jenna's light-weight body off the ground with no trouble at all. Then, he stared at her closed eyes and whispered, "Jenna, please wake up." Then, he looked at Rosalina and asked tiredly, "Will you please hold ma' knife until we get home? Don't cut yourself." She smiled and lifted Buck's knife from the ground. "Thanks, lass."

"No problem." She replied happily then walked ahead of him.

Buck was in his own train of thought; he was oblivious by the fact the Roxanne was telling him to catch up. "Buck, let's go!" She screamed. He snapped back to reality then followed Rosalina and Roxanne from behind while carrying Jenna in his arms.


	17. Chapter 17

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 17

Jenna's POV

What happened to me? I feel like I just got hit by a massive boulder. My head hurts, my body hurts, and….oh, everything hurts so badly right now. I need to wake up right now. Buck and the twins are probably worried about me.

End of POV

Jenna slowly opened her baby blue eyes with soft groan. She gasped when she realized she was lying on a soft leaf bed. "Buck, Rosalina, Roxanne, anyone?" She called out quietly. She sighed in relief when Buck walked over to her. "You're awake. Are you all right, lass?" He asked.

"My head still hurts, but I'm fine. Where are Rosalina and Roxanne? Where am I?"

"The girls are already asleep and we're at our home." Buck answered quickly.

"What? How long was I out?" Jenna asked softly.

"You were out fo' a pretty long time. Anyway, you need some rest, Jen. We'll show ya' around tomorrow." The male told her. Before he left her to rest, he stopped and sat on the side of her leaf bed.

Jenna looked at him, confused. "Jenna." He said.

"Hmm?" The female replied. Buck smiled at her. She smiled back with a soft blush appearing on her cheeks. Finally, he whispered, "Thanks fo' savin' me today. I would've been on Rudy's lunch menu if you hadn't have pushed me out of the way." She laughed softly then replied with a blush, "You're welcome."

Buck looked at her with a serious look on his face. Jenna gave him his undivided attention. Buck nodded. She stared at him, waiting to listen to what Buck wanted to say.

Finally, Buck sighed, "Jen, when you first fell down here, I had a feelin' that you would make a perfect foster motha' for Rosy and Roxanne. Turns out, I was right." He paused to see Jenna smile softly at him. Then, he continued, "Otha' thing is, I need ta' tell ya' something else." He paused again to look at Jenna again; she was starting to blush a light shade of pink. "Go on." She told him softly.

He nodded and did as he was asked. "Jenna, when ma' girls and I were helping you back ta' the surface, I felt like I had a best friend who unda'stood me and my talking ta' non-livin' things. *exhales* Jenna, you're helpful the most when ma' girls or me are upset about something, and you're brave." He paused, yet again, and saw Jenna blushing hard. Then, he took her paws in his, making her blush more.

"Yeah? Why do you say I'm brave? I'm a coward." She whispered softly. He gasped at her negative remark. "That's no' true." He told her sternly. He helped her sit up and wrapped his arms around her shoulders gently. "Buck, I don't know why you say I'm br-"

"Jenna, you've saved ma' tail several times since you found us, including Rosy's. That, love, is wot' I call brave." Buck cut off her sentence with that true fact. She her head from Buck's direction to the ground.

"Jenna, look at me." He instructed her. She obeyed and stared at him. He sighed, "You really are brave. Don't you eva' doubt that." She nodded. Then, she smirked at two feminine figures that were watching the scene from the side. Buck stared at her, confused, and then looked over to the side to see Rosalina and Roxanne spying on them.

"Roxanne, you're going to make us fall and we'll get caught." Rosalina snapped quietly at her sister. Roxanne leaned closer, which was not a good idea. Before Rosalina could keep her from falling, Roxanne fell with her falling down with her. "**AHH!**" The two she-weasels screamed as they landed with an '_oof!'_

Buck and Jenna ran over to them to see if they were okay. Rosalina got up and dusted herself off with a ticked off look on her face; Roxanne shook herself off then stared at her sister, who was giving her an irritated glare. "What?" She shrugged like nothing happened.

"Busted!" Jenna smirked at the girls. The girls looked over at Jenna and Buck's direction.

"Wot' were you two doin' up there? Spyin' on us?" Buck asked with a smirk on his face as well.

To change the subject, the twins screamed, "You two are awesome!"

"Total awesomeness!" Roxanne added along with a giggle.

Jenna looked at Buck with a smile. He nodded. Buck cleared his throat, having Rosalina and Roxanne's undivided attention. "Girls, do you two rememba' when you were hidin' in that tree? No' this one, but the one befo' we got here." The twins nodded. He asked again, "Do ya' want ta' know wot' was really goin' on while I went ta' find Jenny when she ran away?" They nodded with excited looks on their faces. Buck nodded to Jenna.

Before she could explain, Roxanne gasped, "You two made out?" Rosalina started laughing extremely hard. Jenna blushed and looked over at Buck, who was trying his best not to laugh but ended up doing so.

"No!" Buck laughed.

"Then, what really happened?" Rosalina sighed, finally recovering from Roxanne's question.

Jenna told them everything, pausing at some points to see if they were listening, which she knew that they would be. Rosalina and Roxanne gasped at the end of her story. Then, Roxanne asked, "So, Buck tried to kiss you, but you kind of chickened out?"

"I didn't know what to do at first. So, yeah, I was a little nervous by his action. Since you were spying on us, did you hear what he said to me?"

Roxanne froze from her question then muttered, "We'll leave you two alone." With that, she and Rosalina scurried back to their room.

He sighed and shook his head. Jenna laughed softly, "Those girls can be such a mess sometimes."

"Agreed." Buck chuckled.

"So, what should we do now?"

"Wait here." Buck told her and made his way towards the entrance of Rosalina and Roxanne's room.

Buck ran into Rosalina and Roxanne's room. They looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Buck, what are you doing in here?" Rosalina asked.

"I need you two ta' do me a fava'." Buck told her.

"Yeah, what kind of favor, Romeo?" Roxanne asked, interested. He exhaled, "Do you know where I can get a rose?"

They squealed excitedly. "Why didn't you say so? Sis, where's that rose you found?" Rosalina asked Roxanne.

"Thanks, girls. You're the best! Really, you are." The male smiled. Rosalina, along with Roxanne, hugged him gently then released him.

"I see what you're trying to do. You're trying to get all romantic on Jenna." Roxanne smirked slyly as she removed her right paw from the behind her to present him with a rose. It was a dark shade of red and had thorns running down the short stem.

He smiled at them and the rose. "I found it in a rosebush that my sister and I hid in. Surprisingly, we didn't get pricked by any of the thorns in there. Plus, it was the only rose on that bush, but since you're going to do something romantic with Jenna, you can have it." Roxanne explained after giving the rose to Buck. "Thanks, lass." He grinned gratefully.

"Now, go get her, tiger!" Rosalina cheered as he ran out of their room.

"Go get your Juliet, Romeo!" Roxanne grinned along with a sigh.

"Do you remember the words?" Rosalina asked Roxanne.

"I know them from the back of my paw." Roxanne answered. They knuckle-touched and rehearsed the lines quietly.

Jenna was out of her leaf bed; she was now standing in front of the entrance, looking at the dark sky. Buck crept up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She gasped turned her head slowly. She placed a paw on her chest and panted, "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Buck began to laugh at her sudden reaction. Jenna gently thumped him on the nose then laughed as he shook his head. They sighed happily after their little laughs.

Then, Buck moved his tail, which was holding the rose Roxanne gave him to give to Jenna, closer to his right foot. He raised his tail to his right paw and held it. "Fo' you, Madame." Buck smiled as he gave the rose to Jenna, who blushed a dark shade of red. (A/N: You can already tell that Jenna can be shy around guys, can't you. That's why she blushes….a lot.)

She took the rose from his paw then averted her gaze shyly. He smiled at her then gasped when he heard two feminine voices start to sing.

_Look how she lights up the sky,  
>Ma Belle Evangeline.<br>So far above me yet I,  
>Know her heart belongs to only me.<br>J'et adore, J'et aime Evangeline,_

Buck shook his head with a sigh. Rosalina and Roxanne were trying to get them into the mood. He looked at Jenna, who was blushing. Jenna asked, "Did you plan this?"

"Technically, the girls planned this. Those girls could be great matchmakers someday." He chuckled. She nodded in agreement.

_You're my queen of the night,  
>So still,<br>So bright.  
>That someone as beautiful as<em> _she,  
>Could love someone like me.<br>Love always finds a way it's true!  
>And I love you, Evangeline.<em>

Jenna blushed harder as she listened to the words of the song, along with Buck. _So, this was their plan?_ Buck wondered. Then, he shrugged and continued to listen to the girls' songs

_Love is beautiful,  
>Love is wonderful!<br>Love is everything, do you agree?  
>Mais' oui!<em>

Buck looked into Jenna's eyes, which seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. _Wot's goin' on? I'm havin' an awkward feelin' in ma' stomach. Does this mean…? But, wot' about ma' pineapple? I know I have ta' move on, but it'll be hard though. I also know that ma' pineapple wife wants me ta' be happy. So, that's wot' I'm goin' ta' do. _Buck told himself mentally in his head.

He realized that he was staring and shook his head. "Sorry, I kind of zoned out a second."

"It's fine." Jenna raised her paws up reassuringly.

_Look how she lights up the sky,  
>I love you,<em> _Evangeline._

They closed their eyes and leaned in close to each other. Before their lips could touch, Jenna's eyes fluttered back open and gasped in surprise. Buck opened his eye and gasped. They chuckled nervously at each other then Jenna patted Buck's paw gently and whispered, "What were we about to do?"

"K-k-kiss." Buck stuttered nervously with an embarrassed look on his face. Jenna averted her gaze then asked, "How about we just talk?"

"All right." He shrugged.

"Shoot!" Roxanne whispered harshly.

"Hey! At least they almost, nearly kissed." Rosalina gave her sister a positive remark.

"Nearly being kissed isn't good enough for my taste, Rosalina. They need to click. Lips on the other's lips. That's the kind of kiss I'm looking for between Jenna and Buck." Her sister replied.

Rosalina shrugged and walked out of their room. Roxanne followed behind her silently. Suddenly, Clarissa came into view in front of the four weasels. They ran towards her and jumped up and down. "Did you see what Buck and Jenna almost did?"

"I know. I saw everything. Buck, Jenna, I know I can count on you two to take care of my girls. Plus, you two could still work on trying to be a couple." She smiled at the pair.

Jenna blushed when her ghost friend's said 'couple'. "Well, obviously. They're really helpful and well-behaved. We're goin' ta' have a-" Buck was cut off by a red silhouette appearing out of nowhere.

Suddenly, Tim came to view. "Oh, come on! Will you ever leave us alone?" Roxanne groaned then quickly ran back into her room. Rosalina ran towards Buck and Jenna and hid behind the pair of them in fear. Buck wrapped his arms around her and Jenna protectively with an intimidating growl escaping his throat.

"I thought we killed you with that water stuff!" Rosalina barked nervously.

"What do you want from them, Timothy?" Clarissa asked him crossly.

"I want to haunt them until they die! Plus, kill the guy who slashed my arm with a knife." Tim scowled at Buck.

Jenna did the same as Buck and glared at Tim with a low growl. "Ha! And you thought that water stuff would get rid of me? I pretended that I got splashed with it. So, technically, you missed!" He laughed viciously.

Clarissa stood in front of the three weasels with a fighting posture. "Buck, I'm scared." Rosalina and Jenna whimpered. Buck instructed quietly to Jenna, "Lass, hide in Rosy and Roxanne's room and take Rosy with you." Jenna nodded. Before she left, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek then ran into the girls' room with Rosalina ahead of her.

Buck touched the cheek Jenna kissed and blushed a little. Then, looked back at ghost Tim with a low growl. He growled back along with a hiss. Clarissa nodded at Buck then lunged towards the evil spirit.

Tim grunted as he fell to the ground with Clarissa pinning him down with tremendous strength. "All those years of you raping Roxanne, abusing Rosalina, and mistreating and hitting me, I have suffered, along with the girls. You never cared about me or the twins. Only yourself and nobody else. I shouldn't have married you! You're nothing but a liar, a thief, a murderer, a molester, and a slut! I shouldn't have fallen for your charms!" She slapped Tim across the face swiftly. "Buck, I can handle him. Just protect the girls and my friend." She told him while beating Tim nonstop. He nodded and ran towards the frightened she-weasels that were watching the fight.

"Is everybody all right?" Buck asked. The she-weasels nodded.

"Buck, I really thought we got him. I really did. I can't believe I missed. He looked like he got splashed by the water." Roxanne sighed.

"He cheated." Rosalina whimpered childishly. Buck and Jenna chuckled at this and nodded in agreement.

"This is not the time for laughing, you guys!" Roxanne whispered sharply at them.

Tim now had bruises all over his face and deep gashes across his chest and ending at his stomach. (A/N: I know that if you try to hit a ghost, your hand will go right through it, but this is my story. So, my ghost characters are vulnerable and visible. What are you going to do about it?) Clarissa gave him a bitter glare. She growled, "Ever since I found out that you killed my first husband, Ben, a part of me was broken to pieces and you didn't even care. He meant the entire world to me!"

"He left you when he found out that you were pregnant with those two accidents, Clarissa! When will you realize that?" Tim snapped up at her.

She gasped, "Don't you dare call my girls 'accidents'! They were miracles from above and I love them! Why do you hate them, Timothy? They never did anything to you when they were little!"

Buck gasped when he heard Tim call his foster daughters 'accidents'. He looked over at Jenna, who looked like she was ready to kill someone. If looks could kill, Jenna would have killed Tim in no time at all. Then, he looked at Rosalina and Roxanne, who were crying softly. "Lassies, you know that you two aren't accidents. We love you way too much ta' think that."

"That's right." Jenna agreed. They hugged the girls comfortingly.

"Hey, Buck, when you and Jenna become a couple, you won't leave her like our dad left mom when she was pregnant with us, will you?" Roxanne asked.

"Don't worry about that right now, lass. Jen and I are just….um….really close best friends. We still got a long way ta' go in our relationship before we reach that point." Buck gasped. _Wow! I wonder why she's asking me this. _He thought. "I know, I know." She sighed.

Clarissa looked at all the scratches, bruises, gashes, and bite marks she left on Tim. Tim gasped for air desperately then looked up at Clarissa. She snapped, "Don't you ever haunt my girls ever again or, so help me, I will make you suffer more than ever!"

"Never!" He growled before throwing Clarissa off of him. He watched in satisfaction as Clarissa hit the cave wall then fell, face-first, to the ground, out cold.

"Mom!" The twins screamed. They were in trouble now. Tim smirked at them, causing Roxanne to run from the entrance of her room to the inside of her room, screaming. Rosalina looked swiftly at Jenna and Buck then told them frantically, "I got to stop him! I have to face him again!"

"Rosy, I don't want you ta' get hurt. You could get killed!" Buck replied.

"Buck, I have to do this, or he will haunt us for the rest of our lives! You have to let me!" Rosalina argued. Jenna grabbed a gentle hold of Buck's arm and whispered, "Please, let her do this. She's a fighter, Buck. She could save us from him."

He hesitated for a second before placing a paw on Rosalina's shoulder. "Please, be careful, Rosy. I don't want ta' lose you like I already lost ma' pineapple."

"I'll be okay, Buck. I love you." Rosalina sighed. Finally, she ran out of the room. _There's no turning back now, Rosalina. You have to defeat him_. Rosalina reminded herself as she stared at her deceased rival.


	18. Chapter 18

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 18

"So, you're going to be the 'heroine of the night', Rosalina?" Tim sneered as the she-weasel walked towards him, showing no signs of fear in her walk or in her eyes.

"Leave my family and my mom alone, you fiend!" Rosalina growled at him.

"Really, Rosalina, there's nothing you can do to stop me now that I'm dead."

"You may be dead, but when I take care of you, you'll be deader than ever." She threatened with her paws gripped into fists as she walked faster towards him.

"Oh, poor Rosalina, it's going to be so sad to see that one-eyed loser and that she-weasel next to him will watch you die. And, Roxanne will have to live without her pathetic sister." Tim pretended to sound sympathetic.

Then, he lunged at her; Rosalina dodged him with no problem. "You missed, Sucker!" Rosalina taunted. He growled in anger and got in a fighting stance. Rosalina gave him a smirk then muttered, "Bring….it….on!"

"My…..pleasure." Tim muttered back.

During the fight, Clarissa slowly began to come to and weakly tried to get back on her feet. Jenna gasped as she watched her ghost friend try to get up and gave Buck a pleading look. He nodded then whispered, "Be careful, lass."

"I will." She replied before running out of the twins' room, feeling nervous and scared at the same time for her friend.

Rosalina and Tim stopped fighting to see Jenna run towards Clarissa. They looked at each other swiftly then raced over towards them.

"Are you all right?" Jenna asked as she watched Clarissa lift herself off the ground. Then, an anxious, teenaged voice screamed, "Jenna, look out!" She turned around to see Rosalina race towards her then screamed as Tim grabbed hold of her throat and pushed her hard against the cave wall. "Leave 'er alone!" Buck screamed as he ran towards him angrily.

Tim watched in satisfaction as Jenna gasped for air desperately. Suddenly, Clarissa smack him at the back of his head, causing him to turn around and glared menacingly at Clarissa. He let Jenna go and made his way to Clarissa. Jenna fell to the ground, gasping for air and coughing.

Buck ran towards the coughing she-weasel, collapsed onto his knees beside her, and then took her into his arms. "Lass, I'm so sorry." He whispered. Jenna hugged him reassuringly then gasped, "It's okay. This isn't your fault."

Buck was about to say something until something hard hit him in the back of his head. He fell to the ground, the blow knocking him out. "Buck!" Jenna screamed then whimpered in fear as Tim made her way towards her.

Rosalina bee-line sprinted to her and stood in front of her and Buck with an intimidating growl escaping her throat. Tim stopped in his tracks then growled, "All these years, you've caused nothing but trouble. You aren't talented; your real father never loved you or your pathetic excuse of a twin sister. He left the three of you. When you two accidents arrived, I told your mother that you two were supposed to be boys. If my wish was granted, I wouldn't have hated you, but you two were mistakes from above."

Rosalina held back the sad and angry tears and tried to not let him get to her. To no avail, she began to sob softly. Jenna glared at him angrily and tried to punch Tim in the face, even though she knew that her fist would go right through him. He grabbed her fist in his paw then threw her against the cave wall, head-first. Jenna screamed in pain and started to feel a little dizzy until, finally, she was knocked out, cold.

"Jenna!" Rosalina and Clarissa screamed. Clarissa tackled Tim to the ground the grunted to her daughter, "Rose, check to see if Buck's okay. I'll distract him" She nodded and made her way towards him.

Buck groaned in pain and tried to regain his hearing and eyesight. Rosalina sobbed as she saw Buck's eye trying to open completely. "Dad, are you okay?" She sniffed. Finally, he looked up at her tear-stained and panic-stricken face and replied, "I'm fine, Rosy. It's goin' ta' be all right." She helped him up then hugged him tightly. He quickly returned the hug then gasped when he saw Jenna knocked out, again.

They ran towards her unconscious form. Clarissa turned her head quickly, but not quick enough. Tim punched her in the face and threw her off of him. Clarissa's body hit the cave wall, hard. She tried to regain her strength, but she was hurt and no matter how many times she tried to get up, she ended up falling back onto the ground.

He smirked in satisfaction then made his way towards Roxanne, who was still in her and her sister's room, hiding.

Roxanne felt like she was going to have a panic attack, but she knew that if she did, Tim would find her and do who knows what to her. So, all she could do was stay calm and keep quiet. Suddenly, she heard Tim's angry voice call her name. Then, she could've sworn that she heard her sister screaming her name in a panicky tone. She was starting to feel really scared and nervous.

Tim struggled as Rosalina kept wriggling in his arms. "Let….go…of…me!" She screamed as she continued to wriggle in his arms.

"Let 'er go!" Buck ran towards Tim with his knife between his teeth. He growled angrily and pushed Rosalina against the hard cave wall roughly with his paws gripping her throat.

Rosalina yelped in pain then coughed and gasped for air. Buck froze to stare at Tim. He made a move towards him until the evil ghost threatened, "If you come any closer, I'll kill her. However, if you surrender, I'll let her go. But, if you have the courage to attack me, I'll crush her."

Buck hesitated and stopped in his tracks. He didn't want him to kill his foster daughter. He stared at Rosalina's tear-stained and pleading face. He pressed his ears against his head and let out a sighed in defeat.

"I knew you would choose the right choice. Here's your pathetic excuse of a daughter back." He shamelessly threw Rosalina to the ground and in front of Buck. She coughed, sobbed, and retched as she tried to bring some air back into her lungs. Buck took his knife out of his mouth and wrapped his arms around her protectively, softly whispering comforting words to Rosalina.

Meanwhile, Clarissa finally regained some of her strength and got up slowly. She groaned then looked around the almost- empty cave. Then, she turned her head to see her friend unconscious on the ground. She gasped and made her way towards her. She collapsed beside Jenna and called her name worriedly.

Unfortunately, she was still knocked out. Now, she was enraged. She was prepared to save the weasels from Tim. Once and for all! She got up again and raced into the twins' room, her white-furred face now red as blood; her cerulean eyes now an ice blue color.

Back in the girls' room, Tim stared cold-heartedly at the father-and-daughter embrace. He broke the silence with a demand, "Where is Roxanne?"

They looked up at him while pulling out of their hug. Rosalina stuttered, "I-I d-d-don't k-k-know."

"Don't lie to me!"

"I'm not! I really don't know!"

"Shut up, you worthless girl!"

"No, you shut up, you heartless monster!" Rosalina screamed.

Tim grabbed Rosalina and threw her against the hard rock Roxanne was hiding behind, knocking her out in the process.

"Rosy!" Buck screamed. From behind the rock, Roxanne screamed then quickly placed a paw over her mouth. _Oh…..no!_ She thought. "There you are." He growled.

Roxanne panted rapidly then screamed when Tim pushed her against the cave wall boldly. "Leave them alone!" a feminine voice demanded as the ghost she-weasel ran into the fighting scene.

Buck sighed in relief until Clarissa commanded him, "Jenna's still out cold. Stay with her until the fight's over." He didn't need to be told twice. He ran from the brawl between Clarissa and Tim to Jenna's unconscious form.

Clarissa kicked Tim in the face, causing him to double take backwards and let Roxanne go. Roxanne fell to the ground, got up, and then ran out of the room to Buck. "Look what you made me do!" Tim screamed.

"I'm going to threaten you again. Leave these innocent souls alone or I will make you suffer underneath my wrath."

"Not until I get my revenge!"

"Why do you want to hurt them and make them suffer, Timothy? They never did anything to you!"

"One, those too poor excuses of daughters were born. Second, that one-eyed loser took my slaves. Three,-"

"You called my girls 'slaves'? You sick bastard!" Clarissa cut him off with a slap in the face. (A/N: I'm so sorry. I really don't like to swear. I was just expressing how mad Clarissa was, yet again. Please, don't flame me!)

Rosalina's blue eyes fluttered open without neither Clarissa nor Tim noticing for that they were still fighting. She groaned quietly in pain then gasped when she saw that Buck, Jenna, and Roxanne were missing and she was still in her room with two ghosts fighting. Quickly, she snuck out of the room, being extremely quiet so Tim wouldn't catch her, and fled from the fight to Buck, her sister, and Jenna, who was still out.

Rosalina collapsed beside Buck and asked while hugging him tight, "Is Jenna going to be okay?"

"I hope so, lass. We can only hope." Buck sighed, staring at the unconscious she-weasel in his arms. Then, he lifted her up closer and whispered over and over in her ear that he was so sorry. (A/N: I just realized that I made Buck a little OOC. There were just a lot of dramatic and family-related parts in this story; I couldn't quite keep him in character this time. So, yeah, my bad, everybody. .)

Rosalina pulled away from the hug to wrap a comforting arm around her foster father's shoulders with a sad smile. Roxanne did the same on his right side with a sigh escaping her lips. "Everything is going to be okay." They whispered to him reassuringly.

Honestly, they were scared that nothing would be okay because their nightmare was back to haunt and hurt them probably for the rest of their lives until he has his vengeance. But, they knew, their mother would prevent that from happening. Hopefully.

Rosalina had enough of the arguing and fighting between Clarissa and Tim. She decided to go back in her room to stop the fight. She couldn't take it anymore. She was going to stop this. Right now!

Slowly, she let go of Buck then ran back to her and her sister's room. _There's no turning back now, Rosalina._ She told herself mentally. "Rosy, where are ya' goin'?" Buck asked as Rosalina tumbled into her room without answering his question. "Rosy!" He called out. He looked around worriedly.

He couldn't just leave Jenna alone. He reminded himself about what Clarissa had told him, which was to stay with Jenna until the fight was over. He turned his head to Roxanne, who still had her arm around his shoulders and staring at Jenna.

He nudged her gently. She turned her head to Buck, giving him her attention. She looked at him, confused. He instructed her, "Rox, make sure Rosy didn't get hurt. We're in enough danga' as it is."

"Okay." She smiled and ran after her sister until she heard her scream, "**STOP IT!**"

Buck jolted up and turned his head worriedly towards Rosalina and Roxanne's room, where Clarissa and Tim were still fighting. _Wot' if he's abusing Rosy?_ He thought during his brief panic attack. "Sis, are you okay?" Roxanne asked as she ran to her.

Rosalina stood in front of the two ghost weasels, which had finally stopped fighting after she told them to stop. They were now frozen in their struggling positions. Rosalina stared at them with hurt and bitterness in her cerulean eyes.

Finally, she sobbed and fell onto her knees then whimpered through sobs, "I've had enough of the fighting! I can't take it anymore! Tim, what ever caused you to hate me and my sister, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, okay? Please, let me ask you something, Tim!"

She paused to look at Tim, waiting for him to give her his agreement. Tim stared up at Rosalina coldly, but let her talk. She exhaled then crawled closer to the evil spirit slowly. Tim was taken aback by her action. He tried to back away, but Clarissa was still sitting on top of his backside and her weight kept him down.

So, he sighed in defeat and nodded for her to say what she wanted to say. Rosalina nodded then asked, "Tim, why do you hate us? Why do you let your anger out on us? Did your parents abuse you a lot when you were a little kit?"

Tim's eyes widened at her last question then began to weep quietly. He remembered his childhood. He remembered the abuse, the neglecting, and the lies his parents told him.

Rosalina and Clarissa's identical cerulean eyes widened at his sudden reaction to her final question. Clarissa got off of him to kneel beside him as he continued to cry. Rosalina stared at him, her eyes softening a bit.

Then, she sniffed, "I'm so sorry."

"No, don't be. If you want the truth, here it is. The reason why I was acting the way I was when I was alive, it's because that I keep having a nightmare about my childhood."

"What happened in your past, Timothy?" Clarissa asked, biting her lower lip in guilt.

Tim choked up a sob before explaining, "Every night, when I'm finding food or when I'm coming back from playing with my friends, my father would ask me where I have been and start hitting, kicking, pushing, and punching me to no end then push me into my room. Then, my mom would come in my room and start raping me. They never said that they loved me or told me how important I was to them. I will never forgive myself for hurting you all. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He started bawling and coughing.

Rosalina gaped, except Roxanne, who was now entering the room and still staring at their deceased step-father. Clarissa helped him off the ground while softly whimpering. Then, Rosalina looked up at him with sympathy and caring in her eyes and sighed, "Tim?"

"What?" He asked coldly then gasped as he felt Rosalina's arms around his waist, pulling him into a tight hug.

Tim was getting scared. This wasn't part of his plan. That was uncalled for. He never received hugs before. Suddenly, he felt a good feeling in the pit of his stomach. He returned the hug nervously. This felt nice. No, it made him feel safe and loved for the first time. _So, this is what a daughter's love feels like. I never felt like this before_. He thought happily to himself.

Clarissa watched in awe as she watched the two hug in front of her. Roxanne gave her sister an '_are you insane_?' look, even though Rosalina had her eyes closed and didn't see it.

Meanwhile, Buck held Jenna, who was still almost lifeless to him until he felt something stir in his arms. He looked down to see Jenna's baby blue eyes finally flutter open.

She groaned tiredly before asking, "What happened? Where are the girls? What is going on?"

"Jen, you're all right!" Buck sighed happily. Then, he answered her questions. Jenna nodded. She tried to stand up, but her legs were a bit wobbly and needed Buck's help to keep her from falling onto her rump. "Oh!" She yelped as she accidentally tripped over her own two feet.

Buck quickly reacted and caught her before she could fall to the ground. She blushed slightly then chuckled, "Thanks. Well, anyways, how long was I out?"

"You were out fo' a long while. I didn't keep count." He shrugged.

Jenna smiled softly at him. He smiled back then sighed. Jenna looked at him, confused. "Buck?"

"Sorry, lass. I was kind of in my train of thought fo' a second there."

"You looked like you wanted to tell me something."

"No, no' really." Buck lied. _Of course I want ta' tell her something, but I don't know how she would react or when ta' tell her. I could tell her right now. _He thought nervously. "Are you sure you didn't want to say something? I was just wondering because your face looked serious for a minute." Jenna asked with one of her right ear lob-sided and the other ear still up with her head tilted a little.

Buck sighed. _How am I going ta' get out of this? Jen knows when somebody's go' ta' say something by the look of their faces._ He sighed again then muttered to himself, "This is going ta' be a long moment."

Finally, he stared at Jenna with a bold look on his face. Jenna's ears perked up along with a serious look on her face. "There's something I need ta' tell you." Buck told her in a bold, but nervous tone.

Back in Rosalina and Roxanne's room, Tim had released Rosalina thirty minutes ago from the hug he received from her and was now smiling. Rosalina smiled back then asked, "Is this the first time you have ever been hugged?"

"Sadly, yes. I never felt so…..good, so…..safe, and so…loved." Tim answered with a big grin forming on his face.

Clarissa and Roxanne walked closer to him and Rosalina with soft smiles on their faces. Then, Clarissa asked in a sweeter tone of voice, "Timothy, sweetie, is this why you were abusing Rosalina and raping Roxanne?" He nodded then whispered, "I'm so sorry, girls. I was being foolish. I kept bringing you down and hurting you. I shouldn't have let my anger inside come out on you two, especially Clarissa. I really am sorry. I regret everything that I have done to hurt you. I'm so sorry."

Rosalina and Roxanne looked at each other, shrugged, then hugged Tim and whispered with quiet giggles, "Apology accepted. What about you, mom?" Clarissa bit her lip, not sure if she should forgive him or not. But, she looked at his face that seemed to be pleading and sorry. She gave in and smiled, "I forgive you. Next time, please don't let your anger out on me or the girls anymore. Plus, don't haunt the girls, Buck, or Jenna. Is that a deal?"

"Deal." He agreed.

Clarissa walked towards him and caressed his cheek. Tim started to blush, causing the twins to start laughing softly. Then, she leaned in and kissed him. Tim's eyes widened. He forgot the last time he kissed Clarissa, which was almost never. The butterflies in his stomach were flying like crazy. He forgot that one good feeling of love that he never had in his entire life. It made him want to shout happily at the sky and dance like a maniac. Finally, Tim closed his eyes and melted into the kiss.

"Woohoo!" Rosalina whooped and whistled. Roxanne just stood there, frowning at the renewed couple. Rosalina sighed dreamily as Clarissa and Tim pulled away from their kiss. The pair turned their heads to see Rosalina leaning against Roxanne with a grin on her face. They smiled at them then at each other. They had rekindled their relationship and the darkness has left Tim, at last. Clarissa smiled affectionately at Tim. He smiled back then whispered, "I'm so sorry, Clarissa."

"It's all right. Now, the only mammals to apologize to now are Buck and my friend, Jenna." She gave him a soft, stern gaze.

He nodded in agreement and made his way out of the girls' room behind Clarissa, leaving Rosalina and Roxanne in their room. Carelessly, Roxanne pushed Rosalina off her shoulder and followed behind. Rosalina fell to the ground then yelped, "Ouch!"

_I give up. I hate myself for hurting them. I feel like a complete jerk right now. I'll reject the plan to haunt them. I finally got what I wanted for so long. _Tim told himself as they made their way towards Buck and Jenna.


	19. Chapter 19

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 19

Buck turned his head to see Tim and Clarissa walking towards him and Jenna. He stood in front of Jenna and growled warningly at Tim.

Clarissa held up a paw with a reassuring smile on her face. Buck and Jenna looked at her, puzzled. Clarissa reassured, "Buck, there's no need to defend Jenna. He has changed his ways. In fact, Tim's got something to say." She nodded at Tim, signaling him to apologize.

He sighed then walked closer to Buck then sighed again, "Listen. I'm sorry…..for everything. The reason why I was acting like I was is because my childhood still haunts me and I keep replaying the actions that were done to me, which is why I abused Rose and raped Roxanne. I regret everything I have done. But, now, I got what I wanted. Love." Tim stared into Clarissa's soft, cerulean eyes with a smile.

Jenna, who was now standing beside Buck, sighed dreamily on Buck's shoulder. Buck jumped at her action, but calmed back down and looked back at Tim with a smile. Then, he asked, "Lad, are ya' sure that you're done with hurting the ones ya' love now? I'm just makin' sure so that I don't have ta' worry."

"That's all dead and gone now. I never received any affection from my parents, and when I met Clarissa and the girls. I was just angry all the time that I never gave them a chance to love me. The reason why I'm now happy is because Rosalina comforted me with a hug. I've never been hugged before. And then, Clarissa kissed me. Now I know what I've been missing out. I've never felt so…..loved." Tim pecked Clarissa on the cheek, causing her to blush.

Jenna beamed at the renewed ghost couple then said, "Well, I'm glad you two worked it out and you're back together again. I hope that you two don't fight physically like you two did in the past. Best of luck to the both of you."

"Thank you, Jenna. I'm sure we will be just fine, now." Clarissa winked at Tim. Jenna laughed when she saw him blush.

Suddenly, Rosalina walked into the room happily staring at the weasels in front of her. Then, she stopped in front of the Clarissa and Tim dramatically before Rosalina acted out, "Cheers to the rekindled love of Clarissa and Tim. They now have each other once again. May their love prosper." Then, she curtsied with a smirk.

There was short silence in the room until all of the weasels started to laugh uncontrollably at Rosalina's act. "Thank you, thank you. This was my idea!" Rosalina laughed.

Buck sighed as he stopped laughing, "Well, ya' did a good job actin' that out, lass."

"Why, thank you." Rosalina curtsied again. Roxanne rolled her hazel eyes. _Wannabe. _She thought smugly.

Jenna smiled, "As soon as you walked into the room, and stopped in front of your mother and Tim, I didn't expect you to start acting out. That was so unexpected and uncalled for."

"You never know when I'm going to do something random. I can be full of surprises sometimes." Rosalina giggled.

Then, Tim cleared his throat. Everyone, except Roxanne, gave him his undivided attention. Tim smiled at Buck, Jenna, and the twins before he said, "I want to apologize again for attacking you all. This time, I'm changing my ways and I'll be less violent and less cold-hearted."

"Yeah, whatever." Roxanne grumbled to herself. However, Rosalina heard her and elbowed her in the ribcage. Roxanne glared at her sister. Even though she saw her glare, Rosalina ignored it and kept on smiling at ghost Tim.

_He's got to be lying. He's got to be lying._ She thought to herself, not daring to look at Tim. She heard Tim apologizing to Jenna, Buck, Clarissa, her sister, then her. "Pffft! Yeah, right. Like I'm going to believe that." Roxanne grumbled to herself again.

Once again, Rosalina heard her then asked her sister a little too loudly, "What is your problem?" Everyone turned their heads towards the twins.

"Can't you see that Tim is trying to make things right and apologizing for his wrongdoing? At least give him another chance. I know he abused us in different ways, but I'm going to give him a second chance. And, you should, too."

"Listen to me, Rosy," Roxanne growled. Rosalina's cerulean eyes widened. _She did not just say my name the way Buck does!_ She thought angrily.

Roxanne snapped, "May I remind **you**, that Tim is lying!"

"No he's not, Roxanne! If you would've seen the look on his face before he walked in here, you would've seen how sorry he looked! I believe him and I'm not going to hear you say that you think he's lying! He's changed now, Roxanne!" Rosalina argued.

"Tim's lie has already gotten to your brain! He's lying to us! He's lying to everybody!" Roxanne screamed.

"Roxanne, all he wants is another chance and love! I saw the look on his face and he didn't look like he was faking! You better apologize to Tim right now, or I'll never talk to you again!" Rosalina sneered.

"Um…girls, may I say somethi-"

"**NO!**" The twins screamed at Jenna. Jenna pouted a little. Buck and Tim would've done something to stop the twins' argument, but they wanted to hear their beliefs. So, the four weasels continued to listen to the girls quarrel.

"Rosy, I'm telling you, he's lying and there is nothing you can say that will change my mind!" Roxanne declared, crossing her arms across her chest. Rosalina's face turned red in anger and growled, "Roxanne, Tim was serious and heartbroken when he said that he was sorry! And, here you are, saying that he's lying! When will you realize that?"

Then, Rosalina felt her body hit the ground and her cheek burning and her eyes stinging with tears. She saw her sister's paw lower back to her sides. Her own sister had slapped her….again. (A/N: If you read through some of the chapters, I believe one of them said that Rosalina got slapped by her sister because she said that her sister didn't appreciate a thing she does for her. I don't remember which chapter that was, but I'm sure that one of the chapters in this story mentioned Rosalina getting slapped by her sister for the very first time. I don't know.)

Rosalina looked up at Roxanne with tears rolling down her cheeks. "Not as tough as you say you are, now, are you?" Roxanne asked her bitterly. Rosalina slowly rose back up then ran out of the cave, sobbing. Realizing what she had done, Roxanne gasped, "Oh, no! I'm so sorry! Wait!"

Buck, Jenna, Clarissa, and Tim all looked at Roxanne with disappointment in their eyes. "Roxanne, go to your room, now!" Buck commanded her in a low tone.

"I said that I was sorry." Roxanne replied with tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"I said go to your room." Buck told her a bit more sternly.

"Yes, sir." Roxanne sighed in defeat and walked back to the room that she and her sister shared.

"Well, I guess we better go." Clarissa sighed sadly.

"All right. Bye." Jenna said glumly. With that, Tim and Clarissa disappeared.

Jenna looked at Buck, who looked pretty upset and was standing near the cave entrance. Then, she sighed then walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around him. Buck's body tensed up from her sudden action, but, yet again, he relaxed and continued to look at the night sky.

"Buck, are you okay? Do you want me to find her?" Jenna asked him sympathetically. Buck sighed then turned his head slowly. Jenna looked up at his tear-stained face.

"Oh, Buck, sweetie, come here." Jenna sighed then hugged him, hoping that that would give him a little comfort. He hugged her back and began to cry quietly on her shoulder. "Shhh. It's okay. It's okay." She tried to reassure him and began to rub his back.

Roxanne watched the scene from the entrance of her room then collapsed onto her leaf bed and began to sob uncontrollably. This was all her fault. She shouldn't have let her anger out on her sister. _Why did I have to hit her?_ Roxanne thought angrily. "Sis, I'm so sorry." She whispered as she continued to sob into her pillow. She hoped that her twin was okay, but she probably isn't after what she did to her.

Buck pulled away from the hug then sighed, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? You didn't do anything."

"I'm such a terrible fosta' fatha' and I couldn't protect the three of ya' at once!" Buck slammed a fist against the cave wall and let out a stressed sigh.

Jenna pressed her ears against her head and laid a paw on his shoulder. She whispered, "Hey, this isn't your fault. Buck, you are not a terrible father. The girls think highly of you. The other thing is that, there was no way to go back and forth, saving the girls and I."

"Roxanne hates me now." Buck muttered as he pressed his forehead against the cold wall.

"Buck, she does not hate you. She's just having a hard time." Jenna pointed out.

"She's probably regretting the day that she and her sista' decided ta' stay with me." He muttered sadly. Jenna gently turned his shoulder to make him face her, she sighed when she saw Buck's tear-stained face and his eye still filled with tears. Buck looked into Jenna's blue eyes then sighed. Then, she gave him a signal to follow her to a moss-covered couch and sat down with Buck doing the same.

Buck stared at Jenna with a tear rolling down his cheek. Jenna wiped his tears away with her thumb, startling Buck by her action. Finally, she whispered, "Buck, I know very well how much the girls love you. They think highly of you. Plus, I think your bravery dawned on Rosalina. I never knew she was aggressive until I saw her beat up Tim when we were in the Ice Age. Don't you remember that? Plus, Roxanne got her little humor from you. I think your characteristics dawned on the both of them. They think of you as their real dad. That's what the girls told me one night. Buck, they really do love you. Don't you ever doubt that."

Jenna waited patiently for his response. She smiled when she saw Buck smiling at her. "So, you said you had something to tell me while the fight was going on?" She asked, changing the subject.

"I'll tell ya' when we are completely alone." Buck told her.

She nodded with a soft blush on her cheeks then gently grabbed his paws in hers. "Buck, don't you ever doubt yourself again. Please?" She sighed.

"I won't." He replied before getting up from the couch and helping Jenna up.

He guided her to the leaf bed she slept on when she was knocked out and covered her up with a leaf blanket. He smiled as she adjusted her head against her pillow and instantly fell asleep. Smiling softly, Buck whispered, "Goodnight, Jen." Finally, he left her to her peaceful good night's sleep and fell asleep in a hammock.

Meanwhile, Rosalina ran blindly through the Jurassic jungle without looking back. _How could she do this to me…..again?_ She asked herself. She continued to run with tears streaming down her face and her sobs getting louder. Finally, she ran to the cave that brought her back to the Ice Age world.

Rosalina turned her head to look at her tropical home one last time before running into the cave. "Goodbye, Buck. Goodbye, Jenna. And, goodbye, Roxanne." She sniffed. She felt repulsed by her sister's name. Then, she ran into the cave, still sobbing.


	20. Chapter 20

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 20

Inside the weasels' cave, Jenna was asleep near the cave entrance where she and Buck had stood last night. Jenna's eyes fluttered opened and yawned quietly. She gasped when she realized that Buck wasn't in the cave. _Before I go out and try to find him, I better check on Roxanne. Poor girl had a rough night._ She thought and walked into Roxanne's room.

As soon as she walked in, she heard quiet whimpers and saw Roxanne tossing and turning in her leaf bed. She sat on the side of her bed then pressed her ears behind her head as she heard her scream, "No! Rosalina! Don't go!"

Panicking, Jenna woke the she-weasel up. Roxanne screamed then opened her hazel eyes that were wide-eyed in fear. Roxanne cried softly on Jenna's shoulder. Jenna shushed her and whispered comforting words to her.

Then, Buck came back with some fruit and two fish in his right paw. He placed the food onto a stone table that had four stones for chairs with it. Suddenly, he heard sniffs then a sweet, female voice whisper 'it's okay. Everything's going to be okay'. He assumed that that sweet voice belonged to Jenna.

He walked away from the table and walked slowly into Roxanne's room, where he found Jenna hugging Roxanne, who was weeping on her shoulder.

Jenna looked up at him then asked, "Where were you?"

"I went out and got us some breakfast ta' get us started. Then, I was hopin' that maybe we could try ta' find Rosy. She hasn't come back and I'm startin' ta' feel a little worried fo' 'er."

"Sure. That sounds like a plan." She agreed.

Buck walked towards her and Roxanne then sat down on the other side of Roxanne's leaf bed and asked his crying daughter, "Roxanne, I brought some breakfast. Do you want anything, or are ya' no' hungry?"

Roxanne stared at Buck, exposing her tear-stained face. Then, she nodded her head then whispered, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have hit my sister."

"It's no' me that ya' have ta' apolagize ta', it's your sista'." He muttered to her. She nodded then got out of her bed and walked towards the stone table, where the fruit and two fish were sprawled around the table.

"Dig in, lassies. We go' a long day ahead of us." Buck dismissed as the two she-weasels grabbed a seat, or stone, (A/N: Ha! Yeah, that wasn't meant to be funny. *clears throat* I'll shut up now) and began to eat silently at the table.

Buck joined them and ate a fish as well as Roxanne. "Want a piece of fish?" Roxanne offered Jenna, who only shook her head in reply.

"Oh, well, it's your loss." She shrugged then continued to eat her meal. Jenna ate a small amount of strawberries and a bit of peach.

"The reason why I don't usually eat fish is that I'm allergic to 'em and the reason why I don't eat meat is that I'm a vegetarian." Jenna explained as she ate a strawberry.

Roxanne laughed, "You're not the only vegetarian in this cave. Rosalina's a vegetarian too."

"Is she?" Jenna asked, surprised.

"Oh, yes." She answered clearly.

After they were done eating, Buck walked to where his knife was and picked it up. Then, he nodded at the entrance, signaling them two follow him. (Ugh! Did I rhyme? *face palms in embarrassment*)

Meanwhile, in the Ice Age, Rosalina walked through the valley to find the herd. She gasped when she saw the same beaver that told her that her sister was raped when she was a kit. She ran past her quickly. Unfortunately, the she-beaver turned around and saw her. "Hey, Clarissa's girl, come here!" She called out to Rosalina.

"What do you want, beaver?" Rosalina huffed, tapping her foot impatiently.

"There's someone I want you to meet. Now, come over here, sweetie." She told her. Rosalina sighed in defeat and did as she was asked.

As she walked towards the female beaver, she saw a white-gray furred male weasel with hazel eyes and a black tip at the end of his tail. She noted that his physical appearance looked like her sister's, except that this strange weasel was a bit buff.

She snapped back to reality when the she-beaver asked her, "Rosalina, dear, does this guy look familiar to you?"

"N-n-no. I've never seen him before." Rosalina answered.

"He's your father. Turns out that he wasn't dead after all. He just fell into a long coma then woke up. Isn't it a miracle? Say hello to your real dad, sweetie pie." The female beaver smiled happily before walking away to give them some time to get to know each other.

At last, Buck and the remaining two she-weasels had made it to the hole that Rosalina had made when they first went to visit the herd. Roxanne and Jenna crawled through it before Buck, who, yet again, got his rump stuck when he was almost made it out.

Like they did before, the she-weasels pulled him out of the tight hole. Buck yelped as he popped out and fell on top of Jenna, who he accidentally knocked over when he fell and used Jenna's lean body to break his fall.

Jenna felt her cheeks begin to flush in embarrassment. _Oh, I wish I could be in this position all the time, but Buck has better things to do than to stay like this with me._ She thought sadly. Buck caught Jenna's upset face and asked, "Is there somethin' wrong, Jen?"

"No. Let's just go and find Rosalina and pray that she's okay." Jenna sighed before crawling out from beneath him and walking ahead of Buck and Roxanne.

Buck watched sadly as she walked out of the cave. Roxanne laughed, "Buck, you sly dog!" He rolled his eye before taking Roxanne's paw in his and walking out of the cave, hand-in-hand.

Rosalina stared at the male that was theoretically supposed to be her and her sister's father. "So, you are my father?" She asked with bit of hurt and anger in her tone.

"Yes. Listen, Rosalina, I'm really sorry. How about we start over? Rosalina, I am your father, Ben." Ben tried to sound happy, but he knew that that wouldn't mend his daughter's broken heart.

He felt like he had made the biggest mistake of his life, leaving Clarissa to give birth to his babies without him, but with a monster. He couldn't believe how grown Rosalina was now. To him, she looked so beautiful and reminded him of Clarissa, the woman that he had loved before she died. _I can't believe it. She's my little girl. She looks just like her mother. She's just….beautiful._ Ben thought, gazing at his beautiful daughter that stood before him.

"What?" Rosalina asked him softly. Ben shook his head then smiled, "I can't believe how grown and beautiful you look. I'm starting to regret leaving you and your mother. I can't believe that you're my little girl." Rosalina smiled softly then she giggled, "Dad, I'm not her only kid. I have a twin sister that looks like you, except she's not buff."

"Are you serious? Gosh, Rosalina, I'm so sorry. I've missed out." Ben pressed his ears against his head, tears falling out of his hazel eyes.

Rosalina saw this and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug. Ben hugged back as he continued to whisper 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry'. They pulled away without a word spoken. Then, Ben asked, "What are you doing up here? I thought Timothy killed you and your sister."

"We ran into thin ice and fell into a land with dinosaurs and a lot of green surrounding them. Plus, we met a crazy, one-eyed, fearless, funny, and fun-loving male weasel named Buck. He took us in as his own. Fortunately, he is a very understanding guy and he made sure that we are fed and in good health. Roxanne and I love him very much. We agreed to be his foster daughters. Then, we met Jenna. Dad, you would start drooling if you met her. She's so pretty. You'll know what I mean when you see them. And, I'm up here because Roxanne slapped me in the face and I'm trying to find the herd." Rosalina explained.

Ben took all of this in before asking, "Rosy….I mean Rosalina. Sorry, did you want me to call you Rosy?"

"You're my dad. So, yeah, you call me Rosy or Rose if you want." Rosalina smiled politely.

"Okay, good. Now, what was I going to ask you? Oh, yeah, Rosalina, did this Buck mammal hurt you in any way?"

"No. He's a very kind guy, once you get to meet him." She sighed happily.

"That's good. I'm glad that he's taking care of you and….Roxanne. Is Roxanne your twin sister's name?" Ben asked.

"Yep." Rosalina answered quickly.

"One more question," Ben started, "What herd were you talking about?"

"Follow me and I'll show you." Rosalina took Ben's paw in hers before walking the direction the playground was.

As Buck, Jenna, and Roxanne approached the valley, Buck sniffed the air, trying to find Rosalina's scent. "Buck, this is useless." Roxanne grumbled. "Wot' makes you say that?" He asked, still sniffing the air. Roxanne shrugged. Jenna quietly walked away from them to the direction her cave was.

Buck turned his head to see this and muttered to Roxanne, "Um, lass, will you sniff the air and find your sista'. I'll sniff fo' you scent when I get done talkin' ta' Jen." She nodded and walked through the valley, sniffing the air for her sister's scent.

Jenna turned her head to see Buck following her and began to walk faster. Buck stared at her, confused, but he kept following her until he saw her walk into a small cave with two rocks on the sides of the entrance. He walked into the cave after looking at it in wonder.

As soon as he walked in, he saw Jenna lying on a boulder, crying softly. Buck walked towards her and sat on the side of the stone. Jenna turned her head slightly to see Buck by her side. She quickly began to wipe her tears away, not wanting him to feel sympathy for her.

"Jen, are you all right? You've been quiet eva' since we stepped foot here. Is somethin' botherin' you, lass?" Buck asked her worriedly. "Buck, I'm fine. Really." She tried to convince him, but he wasn't buying it.

He helped her sit up and wrapped his arms around her then pulled her close to him, letting Jenna's head rest on his chest. (A/N: Did I rhyme…again? Grrr! I hate it when I do that!) Jenna looked up at Buck. She whimpered, "Buck, I…..I…I" Then, she started bawling loudly, which made her feel weak.

Buck pressed his ears against his head and held her as she continued crying into his chest. "Jen, please tell me wot's wrong?" He pleaded her in a whisper. Jenna slowly lifted her head then whispered, "Buck, I…."


	21. Chapter 21

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 21

"Buck, I lo…..oh, I can't do this." Jenna whimpered.

"Can't do wot', Jen?" Buck asked.

"I don't know. I don't know anymore." She murmured. After a long silence between them, she sighed. "I think we should go and catch girls' scent then go back home."

Buck couldn't help but be worried about Jenna. She's been quiet and upset. He wondered if he did something that made her upset. If that was the case, he would do anything to make it better. He watched as Jenna walked out of the cave and went to find the twins. Slowly, he got up from the stone and followed her from behind.

Rosalina smiled as Ben was talking to his new acquaintances, the herd. Rosalina had already told the herd why she was up here and let the herd ask questions and talk to the both of them. She snapped back to reality and stood quietly in front of the herd.

"So, you are the girls' father? Huh, I thought that Rosalina said that you were dead." Ellie told the male weasel.

"That's what Tim got the girls and Clarissa to believe. What really happened was that I was looking for food and Tim came out of nowhere and started beating me with his fists and any fallen branches he could find. I fell in a coma for so long that I presume that he told everyone, including my wife before the girls were born, that I was dead." Ben explained to the herd.

"You were attacked?" Diego asked him.

"Yes. And, gosh, he looked really pissed too." Ben answered. (A/N: Again with the swearing. Sorry. I don't know why I keep doing that, even though I don't like to. So, again, sorry. I really am.)

"Watch the language, dad. There's a little one here that doesn't need to hear that kind of stuff." Rosalina warned, pointing at Peaches, who giggled at Ben.

"You said an ugly word." She giggled childishly.

"Yes, he did, Peaches. And, I don't want you, young lady, to ever say something like that." Manny told her firmly. Peaches wrapped her trunk around his and reassured him, "Don't worry, daddy, I won't."

"That's my girl. Now, go play." He smiled down at his daughter.

Ben pressed his ears against his head. That was something that he wanted to experience all his life, but he ran away from that opportunity a long time ago.

He snapped back into reality and muttered sadly to Rosalina, "Rose, sweetie, I have to go. Petunia's probably wondering where I'm at."

"Wait a minute. Is Petunia the name of that beaver I saw earlier?" Rosalina asked.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"I think she may be a stalker." She shuddered.

"Why do you say that?"

"She knows every detail about my life. It's disturbing." Rosalina answered, shuddering again.

"I'll make sure that she doesn't bother you anymore. I promise." Ben reassured her before walking away from the playground.

Rosalina turned her head from him to the herd. Suddenly, something tapped her shoulder. She slowly craned her neck to see who or what touched her shoulder. To her horror, she saw her twin sister, Roxanne behind her. Rosalina screamed and hid behind Diego and Sid.

"Sis, hear me out." Roxanne pleaded to her.

"Why? Do you have any other harsh words that you would like to tell me?" Rosalina asked bitterly.

"No. I came here to apologize." She admitted. Rosalina glared at her, waiting for her sister to apologize or pick another fight.

"Sis, I'm really sorry. I had forgotten how Tim used to hit you all the time and with me slapping you, which must've brought you back to those days. I'm so sorry for not thinking about that before I strike. So, do you forgive me?" Roxanne sighed sadly.

Rosalina stared into her sister's eyes and saw no fault in them. Finally, she answered with a smile, "Yes, I forgive you. Sisters?"

"Sisters." Roxanne giggled as she walked over to Rosalina and gave her twin sister a hug.

"Aww." Sid, Peaches, and Ellie sighed as they watched the two she-weasels hug.

"Hey, you two, how about you stay here with us until Buck and Jenna find you. It probably won't be a long stay, though." Manny insisted. Rosalina and Roxanne pulled away from their hug and nodded.

"I guess, in the meantime, we can play with Peaches and Sid for a while." Rosalina smiled at the sloth and baby mammoth, who smiled back. Breaking the silence, Peaches squealed happily in her toddler accent, "Let's play tag. Uncle Sid's it." Rosalina and Roxanne scurried away from Sid as he started to chase them.

Manny and Ellie smiled as their daughter and the she-weasels ran different directions, trying not to get tagged by Sid. Crash and Eddie had other plans. They whispered their plan that would prevent Sid from tagging any of the females. Smirking, they jumped off of Ellie's tusks and went to where Sid was.

To their relief, Sid was distracted. They watched as Rosalina ran up a tree, along with Roxanne. "Hey! That's cheating! Luckily, I'm a tree sloth." Sid reminded himself out loud. Before he could climb up the tree to tag them, Crash and Eddie popped up out of nowhere and started pelting him with tiny pebbles.

Roxanne started laughing her tail off while Rosalina just covered her mouth with her paws, watching as Sid recoiled from the tree, yelping in pain. "Crash, Eddie, stop it! We do not hurt family members!" Peaches and Rosalina heard Ellie snap at the possums.

"Oh, come on, Ellie, we were just havin' fun." Crash whined.

"Tell Uncle Sid you're sorry." Peaches commanded, walking towards her mother and father.

"Okay, our little niece, we'll apologize." Eddie promised lowly. The possums sighed, "We're sorry, Sid."

"Okay, I forgive you." Sid smiled.

Rosalina smiled at this then leapt off the tree, landing in front of Manny's face, which caused the bull mammoth to scream. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I was trying to jump onto your back." Rosalina explained before climbing off his face and onto his back, like she said. Manny glared angrily until Ellie reminded him, "She didn't mean to, Manny."

"I know. I just don't like when that happens to me. Remember when we first met Buck? He did the same to me, and it still gets to me." He sighed.

Ellie just gave him a pat on the shoulder with her trunk before wrapping her trunk around Peaches and lifting her off the ground.

Ever since Buck and Jenna walked through the valley, they had not said anything to each other and it was killing the both of them. Jenna really wanted to chat with Buck, but she felt really depressed and didn't feel like talking to anyone right now. This was making Buck feel even more worried for his friend. _Wot's bothering 'er?_ He asked himself every ten seconds. Buck turned his head to see Jenna's head down with tears rolling down her cheeks.

_That's it! I'm going ta' find out wot's wrong with Jen. I can't stand seein' 'er like this._ Buck told himself boldly. He was determined to make Jenna feel better.

Jenna slowly turned her head to see Buck staring at her. Like she did before, she made a move to wipe away her tears. But, to her surprise, Buck caught her wrist, making sure to keep his grip gentle, but firm. "Don't pretend that nothin's wrong, lass. It's okay ta' cry. Just let it out." He told her softly. It didn't take long before Jenna collapsed into his arms and started sobbing.

"Jenna, please tell me wot's wrong. I'm getting worried about you." Buck whispered while holding her in his arms.

"I wish I could tell you, but I'm just too scared." Jenna gasped through sobs.

Many aardvarks, beavers, and hedge hogs stopped what they were doing and stared at the two weasels. "Ay! Wot' are ya' lookin' at? Go on, nothin' ta' see here." Buck shooed them away. Shrugging, the mammals went back to what they were doing previously. "Come on, Jen, let's find a mo' quiet place so you can tell me wot's the matta'." He muttered to her.

They walked into a small den and sat down. Jenna kept her gaze plastered to the sun setting sky. Buck wrapped his arms around her comfortingly then asked, "Jenna, wot's goin' on? Is something botherin' you?"

"Buck, just don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Jenna tried to persuade him again, but she knew that he wasn't buying it.

She sighed sadly before muttering, "Buck, I'm in love with you."

"Wot'?" Buck asked, not hearing her.

"I said that I'm in love with you." She muttered a little louder so he could hear her. Jenna started sobbing again with her face turned away from him, not wanting to see the look on his face.

Buck's blue eye widened, shocked by what he had just heard. _She's…in….love…with….me? Why didn't she tell me when I asked her wot' was wrong in the first place? _He thought. He shook his head and kept his arms wrapped around her, consoling her. "Jen, is that why you are cryin'?" Buck asked her as she continued to cry.

"My emotions for you got to me. I was scared that you wouldn't feel the same way. I understand that you're still trying to cope after your wife's death and I know that you don't want to replace her. It's okay if you don't feel the same way. I don't know what you would see in me anyways. I'm too fragile and too much of a wuss when it comes to fights." Jenna whimpered, still not turning her head to face him.

Buck exhaled through his nose. He knew that, now, it was the right time to tell her how he felt for her. Jenna finally turned her head, revealing her tear-stained face. Buck sighed and lifted his left paw to Jenna's face, caressing her cheek. Jenna started to blush and averted her gaze bashfully, smiling as she did so.

"There's that smile." Buck said, giving her a smile of his own, which made Jenna smile wider. He chuckled softly before removing his paw from Jenna's cheek and pulling her into a hug. Jenna hugged him back then pulled away slowly, holding Buck's paws in hers.

After staring at Jenna for half a minute, Buck sighed, "Jen, there's something I want ta' tell you." _This is it._ He thought excitedly, but nervously as well. He made sure Jenna gave him his undivided attention before he could start, which she did.

Buck felt really nervous, but he knew that now was the time to tell her. Finally, he took a deep breath then asked her, "Do you rememba' that day I told you about my wife's death?" Jenna nodded. Then, he asked her, "Do you rememba' when you told me that I wasn't the only one that talked ta' nonlivin' things?" She nodded again.

_Fo' gosh sakes, Buckminsta', tell her!_ His conscience told him impatiently. Buck sighed, "That made me feel like I had somebody that understood me. Lass, I've been tryin' ta' move on, and, Jen, you helped me so much. I've seen the way the girls have looked up ta' you. You're like a motha' ta' them. They always tell me how beautiful, sweet, and compassionate you are. And, they're right about you. I could tell, because I'm always around you, and I see almost everything you do ta' make the girls feel betta' or smile. Yes, I know you and Roxanne have started off wrong, but you two eventually became good friends, am I right?"

Buck waited for an answer. "Mmhm." Jenna nodded.

"Well, enough about the girls. Here wot' I was going ta' tell you." He started, "Jen, wot' I see in you is just…you. You're just compassionate, lovable, shy, brave, and…beautiful. Yes, it's going' ta' hurt me ta' replace ma' wife, but I know that she wants me ta' be happy. I am willing ta' do this fo' her. Jenna, the only female I'll eva' want ta' be with would be you."

Jenna's eyes started to glaze with happy tears. "Buck." She whispered softly. She realized that they were about to kiss and she got a little frightened. Her frightened face didn't go unnoticed by Buck.

"Don't be afraid." Buck reassured her. She looked at him with a small smile.

He chuckled a bit before pressing his lips to hers. Jenna's eyes widened, but closed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. They yelped as they fell down, sideways. They started laughing, but made sure that either of them wouldn't break the kiss as they did so.

Meanwhile, in the herd's cave, everyone was asleep, except Rosalina, who was pacing back and forth, Roxanne, and Ellie. Ellie watched her from her resting spot, which was across from Manny and Peaches curled up against her side, asleep.

"Rosalina, sweetie, why don't you get some rest? It's getting late and I know that Buck and Jenna had not arrived yet and you're worried about them, but at least rest for a while until they come. If they do, I promise to wake you up." Ellie insisted.

"Oh, Ellie, I'm sorry. I'm just really worried about them. You right. I need to calm down and rest until they get here." Rosalina walked over to her and lay down beside Peaches. The she-mammoth sighed quietly before wrapping her trunk around her daughter and Rosalina, keeping them warm, and fell asleep.

Roxanne smiled at the three before walking over to Diego and settling down next to him. The saber-tooth cat opened his eyes and looked down to see Roxanne curled up against him, asleep. He felt a smile forming on his face as he stared at the sleeping she-weasel next to him. To tell the truth, he didn't have the heart to wake her up. Diego snapped out of his thoughts and fell asleep.

Buck and Jenna had already pulled away from their kiss and were now walking towards the herd's cave to pick up Rosalina and Roxanne, even though it was already nightfall. Jenna looked over at Buck and smiled shyly at him. He smiled back wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"The girls are going ta' have a little surprise when we get them." He said to her.

"I agree with you on that one." Jenna sighed sadly.

"Lass?"

"Buck, I've been alone for twelve years and I felt like no one would hold me and tell me that everything would be okay, or care for me, ugh, or even keep me company. But, that all changed when I met you and the girls. I want to thank you for being there for me when I needed you to hold me or tell me everything will be all right. Thank you so much."

Buck kissed her slowly on the cheek before whispering to her, "Jenna, you'll neva' be alone again. No' anymo'. Ma' girls and I will always be there fo' you, especially the herd."

"Thanks." She sighed, resting her head on Buck's shoulder. He smiled down at her and kept on walking alongside her.

After walking for miles, they had finally made it to the herd's cave. "Jen, we're here." Buck told Jenna, who was distracted by her thoughts. She jumped then asked, "What?"

"We're here, lass." He told her again.

"Oh, sorry. I kind of zoned out." Jenna averted her gaze in embarrassment. Buck chuckled then walked into the cave with one of Jenna's paws in his.

Ellie heard clicking sounds in the cave and slowly opened her emerald eyes to see Buck and Jenna walking towards her. She carefully got up from her sleeping spot, hoping Peaches wouldn't wake up. To her relief, her daughter was still sleeping peacefully with Rosalina by her side, sleeping as well. "Rosalina was worried about you two. Did something happen?" The she-mammoth asked them quietly, making sure not to wake anyone.

Buck smiled down at Jenna then wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She blushed a bit before smiling back. Ellie took the hint and beamed, "You two are together? That's amazing! I'm pretty sure your girls are going to be extremely excited once they find out."

"Aye, lass. That's wot I told Jen befo' we go' here." Buck gently squeezed Jenna's shoulders together with his arm in an affectionate gesture. She smiled at him and entwined her tail around his.

Ellie smiled at the pair before lightly nudging Rosalina with her trunk. Falling out of her oblivion of sleep, Rosalina woke up, groaning softly and adjusting her eyesight as she did so.

She looked up at the she-mammoth, confused. Ellie saw this and whispered, "Buck and Jenna are here, sweetie." The young she-weasel turned her head, and, sure enough, she saw Buck and Jenna standing right in front of her. Being careful not to wake Peaches, Rosalina got up and tiredly walked towards them.

"What took you two so long? I was worried sick." She asked in a whisper. Buck pulled Rosalina into a gentle hug before answering her question. "And, two certain weasels will be pairin' up. I'm no' gonna say who. "He finished, smirking at his foster daughter.

It took a while for Rosalina to understand what he meant. After she finally caught on and asked, "Oh, my gosh, you two are together now? Roxanne, get up!"

The blue-cladded she-weasel ran up to where Diego and Roxanne were and started shaking her sister's shoulder. Disappointed to have lost her oblivion of sleep, Roxanne woke up. She whispered sharply, "What?"

"Buck and Jenna are together now!" Rosalina answered with excitement in her tone.

"How do you know? They're not here." Roxanne muttered, getting up slowly from her sleeping spot.

"Yeah, they are. Come on." Carelessly, Rosalina dragged her tired sister by her arm and walked over to Buck and Jenna.

"Ay, lass. Did you have a nice sleep?" Buck asked Roxanne, who still seemed like she was sleepwalking. He chuckled then lifted her off the ground.

"How about you rest a little longa', lass." Buck insisted, adjusting his arms to support Roxanne's weight.

"Will do." She muttered before nuzzling into his chest and falling asleep immediately. _Yes, more sleep. Thank you, Buck._ She smiled at the thought then yawned quietly.

"We're sorry that we barged in like this." Jenna whispered to Ellie, grabbing Buck's knife from his paw so he could hold Roxanne without worrying about dropping his knife or Roxanne on the ground.

"No, sweetie, it's fine." She whispered back.

"Hey, Ellie, give the others a hug in the morning and tell them that the hugs were sent from me to them." Rosalina beamed as she walked towards the entrance of the cave where Buck and Jenna waited for her with Roxanne in Buck's arms.

The three weasels waved goodbye to Ellie as she waved back with her trunk. As they got closer to the cave after walking for miles, Rosalina bit her lip before whispering, "Buck, I met my real father today." Buck froze in his tracks. "Wot'?" He asked in a whisper, confused and slightly upset.


	22. Chapter 22

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 22

Jenna's POV

"Wot'?" I heard Buck ask Rosalina, noting the sadness in his tone."I said that I found my real father today. He's really nice. He said that he regretted that day when he left my mom when she was pregnant with me and my sister. He constantly kept telling me that he was sorry and I forgave him. His name's Ben, in case you were wondering what his name was." I heard Rosalina explain to him.

She slightly tilted her head to the side with a frown slowly forming on her face by the sight of Buck's upset expression. I looked at Rosalina's face that looked like she didn't need to continue talking about her father.

Then, Buck turned his head to face Rosalina. "You don't look very happy for me. Are you okay?" Rosalina asked. I turned my head to see Buck with his ears down and a frown on his face.

"Rosy, I am happy fo' you, but…uh…..Rose, you go on ahead. I need ta' talk ta' Jenna." Buck sighed, gently nudging Roxanne awake. "Go with your sista'. I'll explain later." He told her. Roxanne nodded.

Ears pressed against her head, Rosalina grabbed Roxanne's paw in hers and crawled through the hole she made and made her way back to Dinotopia, and waited for our conversation to end. Little did I know that Roxanne was eavesdropping on us.

"Buck, is something wrong?" I asked, my blue eyes filled with worry and concern, like they almost always were. Buck started pacing back and forth in front of me and sighed, "Wot' am I going ta' do? If Rosy's fatha' is alive, I think I'll have ta' leave her and Roxanne with him. Let's face it. I'm no' their real fatha'. I have ta' give them back ta' him. It'll hurt me ta' do so, but I have ta'."

I pressed my ears against my head, feeling sympathetic for him at this moment, and then I asked softly, "Well, do you think that he'll let you keep them?"

"I doubt it. Jenna, I have ta' face the facts. He's their fatha', no' me. I guess I was neva' meant ta' be one." Buck muttered.

"Buck, I wish I could do something to help, but all I can tell you is this: Do what you think is right." I whispered before planting a comforting kiss on Buck's good eye, which made him smile sadly.

"Thanks fo' the advice, Jen." He sighed. I nodded gave him a hug. He returned it and gave me a peck on the cheek.

"I needed that. Thanks again, lass." Buck sighed.

"No problem. So, what are you going to do?" I asked him, pulling away from the hug.

"I don't know. I just don't know." He shook his head then turned it to see Roxanne staring at him, shocked and upset.

"So, you're going to give us back to the man who abandoned my mom? How could you?" Roxanne screeched and ran off into the Jurassic world.

"No, Roxanne, sweetie, wait!" I called after her, running into the cave to stop her, as well as Buck.

"Roxanne, wait!" I called again.

"No, I will not wait! If Buck wants us out of his life, then fine! Rosalina and I are leaving!" Roxanne sobbed, hurriedly sniffing the air to find her sister's scent.

Suddenly, I heard a thud from behind me. I stopped running and turned my head swiftly then gasped in horror. Buck was lying on the ground, out cold. I didn't know how, though, but that didn't matter. What was I going to do? Am I going to keep running after Roxanne, or check on Buck? I didn't know.

Before I could even decide, Roxanne stomped back into the cave with her sister holding her paw from behind. "Roxanne, don't do this. Buck loves you two way to much to give you two away." I pleaded, hoping they would stop.

"Well, I think he does love us enough for that to happen now. Goodbye." The hazel-eyed she-weasel grumbled bitterly before she and Rosalina crawled out of the hole back to the Ice Age world.

_They're gone. I couldn't stop them. No! NO!_ I fell onto my knees beside Buck's unconscious body and began to sob softly. "Buck, th-th-they're g-g-g-gone." I stammered as I continued to sob.

As I continued to grieve, Buck came to and opened his eye and turned his head to see me next to him, crying. He sat up slowly before staring at the entrance to the Ice Age. "They're gone. And, it's all my fault." He pressed his ears against his head, feeling guilty and very depressed.

"Buck." I saw his ears perk up by the sound of my depressed voice. Buck turned his head to see my tear-stained face.

"I t-tried to st-stop them. I really d-did. I'm sorry." I stuttered, trying to hold back the tears, but failed.

"Jen, this isn't your fault. It's mine. At least you tried ta' stop them." Buck said, wrapping his arms around me, rubbing my back with his right paw. "Yeah." I sniffed, resting my head on his shoulder.

He smiled softly down at me then sighed, "Let's just go home. I think the girls want ta' be with their real fatha' right now. If they don't come back in two or three days, we'll go back up there and get them, again. Right now, we should be resting back at my place…I mean… our place." I felt my cheeks begin to flush a light shade of pink as I pulled away from Buck's embrace. "You're right." I muttered, still depressed after what just happened.

Buck got up from the ground and lent me a paw to help me up. I gladly took the offer and grunted as I got back on my feet again. "Thank you. On the other hand, what did you mean when you said 'our place'? Not that I have a problem with that. I was just wondering." I asked, dusting off the fur on my legs.

"I called it 'our place' because, you know, Rosy, Roxanne, and I, including you, live with me." Buck pointed out. "Oh." Was my short reply before bending down to pick up Buck's knife from the ground.

"Thanks." I heard Buck say to me as I gave his knife back to him, accidentally placing my paw over his in the process. I blushed a bit before pulling my paw away and said with a smile, "You're welcome."

After a brief silence between us, Buck placed his knife on his shoulder before instructing me with his best enthusiastic tone, "All right, let's go home, shall we?"

I noted that his excited tone didn't sound as excited as it usually did when danger was up ahead, but I knew why he was trying to sound happy and I didn't want to discuss it with him. He's already depressed enough as it is; I am not willing to hurt him like the girls did when they left him. Shaking my head slowly, I linked arms with Buck's free arm and we walked out of the cave and into Dinotopia, as Rosalina calls it.

So many questions ran through my head. _Would the girls come back soon?, Will they stay with their real father?, Would they stay up there long?, How long will they stay up there?, Do they still love Buck?, Is their father good at parenting?, Will he love them more than Buck does?, Will we ever see them again?_ I snapped back into reality and kept on walking, arm-in-arm and beside Buck.

End of POV


	23. Chapter 23

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 23

Buck's POV

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Rosalina's father was alive. I was just….shocked and a bit depressed as soon as Rosy told me. Finally finding my voice, I asked, "Wot'?"

"I said that I found my real father today. He's really nice. He said that he regretted that day when he left my mom when she was pregnant with me and my sister. He constantly kept telling me that he was sorry and I forgave him. His name's Ben, in case you were wondering what his name was." My foster daughter, Rosalina, explained to me.

I pressed my ears against my head and let out a sad sigh. Then, I heard Rosy ask, "You don't look very happy for me. Are you okay?" Why am I acting like this? I've got to show her I am happy for her, but I couldn't live with myself if I lied to her. "Rosy, I am happy fo' you, but…uh…..Rose, you go on ahead. I need ta' talk ta' Jenna." I would of said more, but I really needed to talk to Jenna privately.

Jenna stared at me with worry and sympathy in her eyes. I guess she already knows something's wrong. Snapping back to reality, I gently nudged Roxanne, who was still sleeping in my arms before I woke her. She stared at me with her hazel eyes half-closed. "Go with your sista'. I'll explain later." I told her.

I watched as the two she-weasels walked into the cave, holding each other's paws. As soon as they were out of sight, or so I thought, I turned around to meet Jenna's gaze. "Buck, something's wrong, isn't there?" She asked me, her eyes filling up with more worry in them.

I started pacing back and forth in front of her. I probably shouldn't have done that because Jenna became more and more worried for me. But, I knew that Jenna wanted to help me. After a few seconds, I sighed, "Wot' am I going ta' do? If Rosy's fatha' is alive, I think I'll have ta' leave her and Roxanne with him. Let's face it. I'm no' their real fatha'. I have ta' give them back ta' him. It'll hurt me ta' do so, but I have ta'."

Then, I heard Jenna ask me in a calm, soft voice, "Well, do you think that he'll let you keep them?"

"I doubt it. Jenna, I have ta' face the facts. He's their fatha', no' me. I guess I was neva' meant ta' be one." I muttered, placing a paw on the side of my head, which started to throb nonstop.

To tell the truth, I really didn't know what was going to happen, or how I was going to tell the girls what I was planning to do. If I had already known that their real father was actually alive, I wouldn't be in this situation, now would I? With that thought on my mind, my head started to hurt. I ignored the pain and stayed silent.

"Buck, I wish I could do something to help, but all I can tell you is this: Do what you think is right." I heard Jenna say to me then kiss my good eye. How sweet and caring is she? I smiled softly at her before thanking her for the advice. She nodded then wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug.

I'm really starting to love having her close to me. It just feels…anyway. Gladly, I returned the hug and gave Jenna a peck on the cheek. I could have sworn that I heard her giggle a bit afterwards.

"I needed that. Thanks again, lass." I sighed.

"No problem. So, what are you going to do?" Jenna asked, pulling away from our hug.

"I don't know. I just don't know." I shook my head then turned it to see Roxanne with tears glazing her hazel eyes.

"So, you're going to give us back to the man who abandoned my mom? How could you?" Roxanne screeched and ran off into the Jurassic world. "No, Roxanne, sweetie, wait!" I watched as Jenna ran after her.

_Great. Now, I can be called the worst foster father ever. _I thought with tears threatening to fall. No, I could not cry. Not right now. I had to stop Roxanne. Shaking off that negative thought, I ran into the cave last, hoping to stop Roxanne and Rosalina from leaving.

"Roxanne, wait!" I heard Jenna call after her.

"No, I will not wait! If Buck wants us out of his life, then fine! Rosalina and I are leaving!" Roxanne sobbed and started sniffing the air for her sister's scent.

I froze in my tracks after what I had just heard. _No…Roxanne, don't do this! That's not what I want at all! I love you and your sister very much! Please, don't leave! _My mind seemed to be screaming.

Suddenly, I felt my legs quiver then I fell onto my knees, my knife falling out of my paw as my body and my arms hit the ground. Finally, my good eye closed. Those five words that Roxanne had said had caused me to faint.

I could barely hear Jenna's pleas to the girls for them to stay, but I was sure that the girls wouldn't listen. The last thing I heard was clicking sounds that started growing faint then soft crunching sounds that I noted was the snow. They had left. I can't believe this is happening to me. This just can't be happening!

Suddenly, I heard a thud that sounded like it was near me then I heard Jenna sob softly. "Buck, th-th-they're g-gone." She stammered as she continued to cry.

I couldn't just lay here and listen to Jenna cry. I had to get up. So, I finally let myself come to. I turned my head to see Jenna's tear-stained face and her glassy blue eyes staring at me and still crying. I sat up then turned my head towards the entrance of the Ice Age.

"They're gone. And, it's all my fault." I whispered, letting my ears press against my head, depressed by what just happened. This was the last thing I hoped the girls wouldn't do: leave me, but it happened anyway. I tried to keep myself from thinking about the girls, but it was just so hard.

"Buck." I heard Jenna's soft, sweet voice call my name, interrupting my thoughts in the process . Slowly, I turned my head towards her direction. She stuttered, "I t-t-tried to st-stop them. I really d-did. I'm sorry." She started to cry again, feeling guilty for not stopping the girls from leaving.

This broke my heart. She really did care about me and the girls. I could tell because she keeps trying to keep the family together. What a lass. It tore me apart to see Jenna crying. So, I tried to comfort her.

I said to her, "Jen, this isn't your fault. It's mine. At least you tried ta' stop them." I pulled her into my arms and started to rub her back with my paw. "Yeah." Jenna whispered, leaning her head against my shoulder. _That worked._ I thought, happy now that Jenna had finally stopped crying.

I smiled down at her then told her, "Let's just go home. I think the girls want ta' be with their real fatha' right now. If they don't come back in two or three days, we'll go back up there and get them, again. Right now, we should be resting back at my place…I mean… our place." Why did I say that? I felt myself blushing along with Jenna after I said that.

After a while, Jenna pulled away from the hug then muttered, "You're right." She started to feel depressed again, I could tell by the look on her face. I was still depressed too, but I just wanted to go home and get some sleep, well try to.

I got up from the dusty ground then lent Jenna a paw. She took the offer and pulled herself up with my help, obviously. As she dusted the fur on her legs, she asked, making sure to add a thank you before she could ask. "Thank you. On the other hand, what did you mean when you said 'our place'? Not that I have a problem with that. I was just wondering."

This question made me embarrassed. I had to think up a good reason, or at least try to anyway. Finally, I answered, "I called it 'our place' because, you know, Rosy, Roxanne, and I, including you, live with me." Well, at least I tried. It was the best I could come up with.

"Oh." Was her only reply before she bent down to pick up my knife that I dropped when I fainted for a moment.

_She's got one cute tail. Stop looking at her behind, you pervert!_ I mentally smacked myself and started to blush after staring at her rear end like a desperate guy. Why did I do that for? I don't want Jenna to think of me as a pervert. She'd probably smack me across the face. No, she's too nice to do that, but still. She already trusts me too much, and I am not about to lose that trust by staring at her inappropriately.

After Jenna got back to her full height, she handed me my knife. I thanked her, keeping my gaze averted –I was still embarrassed- as I took the knife from her. Then, her paw landed on top of mine. We both chuckled as Jenna pulled her paw away. "You're welcome." She said, smiling.

After a short, awkward silence, I placed my knife over my shoulder. Giving my best enthusiastic tone, I said, "All right, let's go home, shall we?" I knew that that tone I used was definitely fake. I was extremely worried for my girls…..I mean, Ben's girls. I kept my ears from drooping at the thought, even if I really wanted them to.

I felt one of Jenna's arms link to my free one and we walked out of the cave. I prayed that the girls would come back soon. Not only did I lose my girls, I lost the only two foster daughters I've ever loved. I didn't want to lose them completely. All Jenna and I could do was to hope that Rosy and Roxanne would be all right.


	24. Chapter 24

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 24

"I cannot believe this, Rosalina! Why did you have to say that Ben was alive?" Roxanne asked her twin angrily as they walked through the valley, searching for their father's scent, well, Rosalina anyway.

"Hey! Why do you say that like it's a bad thing? He is a very nice dude. Besides that, he gets to see you for the first time. He's already met me." Rosalina tried to convince her sister.

"No, Rosalina! That's not the point! I asked you why you said that our father was alive, not if he has met you yet or how he is!" Roxanne threw her paws up in the air, frustrated.

Rosalina sighed, "Sis, I'm sorry, but I couldn't do anything to change my mind. He is alive and well. I can't do anything to change that. I saw him with my own eyes. Now, I suggest you stop acting like a big baby and just be happy that we get to see our father, both of us. So, don't try to chicken out of this. To tell you the truth, I didn't even want to leave Buck, but you had to drag me out here. Now, you're going to pay the price. I am taking you to Ben, either you like it or not."

Roxanne huffed then snapped, "Fine! If you want to go back to Buck, then just go! I want to see my father for myself."

"No, we're both going together and we're staying with him for at least three to four days. Are we clear?" Rosalina's cerulean eyes began to change into an ice blue color and she had a scowl on her face.

This usually scared Roxanne every time her sister did that when she was angry, but not this time. "That eye color changing thing won't get me to agree with you. I say we stay for two to three days. Then, hang out with the herd for a very long while." The hazel-eyed she-weasel declared, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Sis, eventually we'll have to come back to Buck and Jenna. They're so brokenhearted now that we're gone. Look, here's what we'll do: We stay with our father for two days, stay with the herd for two days as well, since we never really see them very often, then we go back home. Does that sound good enough for you?"

Rosalina waited for her stubborn twin sister's answer. Finally, Roxanne spoke up, "Liar! We've stayed with the herd several times, and you're over here saying that we never really see them often? You freaking liar!"

"Don't call me a liar, Roxy Loxy!" Rosalina smirked at her sister's face. 'Roxy Loxy' was her sister's most hated nickname that Rosalina gave her back when they were kits, and she knew that her sister still hated being called that.

_You did not just go there! Oh, you are so flipping dead!_ Roxanne lunged towards her sister and tackled her to the ground. They rolled around for a few seconds until Rosalina kicked her twin off of her.

Roxanne screamed as she flew a short distance then landed on top of something furry. She looked up to see a white-furred male weasel with black spots on his body. She noted that he looked buff and had scars running down his torso, down his arms, and had a tiny scar near his left eye. She stared into his identical hazel eyes in wonder. _Is this our 'father'?_ Roxanne asked herself before getting off the male quickly, not knowing that Rosalina was now standing behind her and the strange weasel.

Roxanne jumped when Rosalina walked towards him and helped him up. "Thanks." The strange weasel said to Rosalina. Not replying to his thank you, Rosalina smiled, "Sis, this is our father, Ben. Yes, I know that you may not be happy to see him, but he really is upset that he didn't get to see us grow up to be young women. I told him I forgave him for leaving our mother when she was pregnant with us. He's never seen you before, and you've never seen him. So, I'm just going to find a safe place for us to sleep through the rest of the night while you two get to know each other. Take all the time that you need. I'm going to go now." And with that, Rosalina walked away from the two and started searching for the herd's cave.

Roxanne gave Ben a pained look with tears threatening to fall down. Ben saw this and whispered, "Roxanne, I'm so-"

"It's too late for you to apologize! You left us with a monster! Oh, and you know what else, I've been raped by that monster, and it's all your fault! Screw you!" Roxanne screeched, running a long distance away from him, sobbing. (A/N: Yeah, now that wasn't very nice. Heh, family drama. Good times. *flushes in embarrassment*)

Ben's eyes were filling up with tears. _She hates me. I can't blame her._ He cried at the thought, sat down on the ground, and whispered to himself over and over, "She hates me. She hates me. She hates me."

"Hey, you okay?" Ben looked up to see Rosalina standing over him with worry in her eyes.

The she-weasel sat down beside her father and gave him a look that told him that she was listening. Sighing, he said, "Your sister hates me, and she ran off. I didn't even know that she was raped by Tim. This really is my fault." Rosalina gasped softly then said in a quiet voice, "Dad, I'm so sorry. I forgot to tell you. How could you not know that my sister was raped? Petunia knew, my mother knew, my foster father and mother knew, and I knew as well. To tell the truth, I told Buck and Jenna that Roxanne was raped. So, they really didn't know anything about it until I told them. Anyway, Petunia would've told you about Roxanne's rapes. She told me. I don't know why she didn't tell you."

"Speaking of Petunia, I remembered to tell her to stop stalking you, your sister, and your new family. Besides that, I don't know why she kept that raping thing with Roxanne from me. She should've told me, not you." Ben declared. "Exactly." Rosalina agreed, placing one paw on her side and the other one still by her other side.

After a long silence, Rosalina asked his father, "I'm sorry. Is it okay if I find her? Oh, and is it okay if I stay with you, just for tonight and leave Roxanne with you for two days so you can get to know her without her running away like she did? Don't tell her that I'm leaving tomorrow. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes, yes, and yes. That will be just fine. Go ahead and find her. I'll be right here." Ben told her and watched as Rosalina walked away from him to find her sister.

Meanwhile, Roxanne was still running blindly through the night, trying to find a place where no one could find her. She yelped as she tripped over tail and fell. Instead of getting up, she curled up to ball, in a weasel position, and started to bawl.

_Why is this happening? Why, why, why, why, why? _She screamed in her mind. Why did everything have to be so stressful to her? She'll never know. She swiftly got back up and kept on running.

Roxanne ran until she saw a pile of sharp rocks that her mother had told her not to run into when she was an immature kit. Instead of turning around and leaving, she walked towards it and stood over the pile. She wanted to end her life by stabbing herself and die in her own pool of blood. She wanted to end all of this drama, hurt, pain, abuse, and also, she wanted to forget that she ever had Buck as her foster father…..forever.

As she stared at the pile of rocks fearlessly, she had thoughts on her mind. _How would Buck, Jenna, Rosalina, my father, and the herd react if they found out about my death? Would Buck blame himself? Would Rosalina and Jenna blame themselves? Would they even care? Would they miss me? Would they realize my absence? Would Buck kill himself? Would Rosalina kill herself? How would life be for my sister and foster parents if I were to jump into this tar pit now and die? Should I even do this, or should I just go ahead and throw away what I have: a family who loves me, friends, trust, love, and so much more? _

Roxanne ignored the questions running through her head and made an attempt to grab one of the sharp rocks, but she held herself back. She couldn't do this. She couldn't do this for the sake of her sister, Peaches, Ben, Jenna, heck, even Buck. But, she really wanted to end all of this hell she was going through right now. _This is it. Goodbye forever, Buck, Jenna, Rosalina, Ben, Ellie, Manny, Sid, Crash, Eddie, Diego._ Then, she grabbed a rock from the pile then examined the tip of it, watching in satisfaction that a small bead of blood escaped her finger.

Suddenly, she heard rustling of bushes and Rosalina calling her name. This brought Roxanne to tears. "I'm so sorry, sister. Tell Buck, Jenna, Ben, and the herd that I will no longer be with you. I just want you to know that I love you very much. Tell that to Buck and Jenna. Goodbye, sister." She whispered as brought the sharp tip of the rock closer to her abdomen, preparing for her slow, painful death.

Rosalina walked out of the shrubs then gasped in horror as she saw her sister preparing herself for death right in front of her. "Roxanne, hold on!" She screamed as she ran towards her sister.

"It's too late now, sister. You're just going to have to go home without me." Roxanne told her with a cold tone. Rosalina shook her head, snatched the sharp knife-like rock out of Roxanne's paw, and threw it away.

"Sis!" Roxanne screamed at her sister, who was sobbing loudly.

"I don't know what's going through your head, but you are crazy?" Rosalina sobbed.

Roxanne listened to Rosalina's pleads to not do what she would regret. Taking in the fact that committing suicide wasn't going to be worth it, Roxanne gave up and wrapped her arms around her sister. They hugged nonstop, afraid to let go of each other.

Not knowing that Ben was right behind them, they continued to sob on each other's shoulders.

Rosalina Roxanne slowly turned their heads to see their father next to them, sobbing with them. Rosalina buried her face into Ben's chest and continued to sob, soaking his fur in the process. He didn't seem to care too much about his soaked fur. He was too upset to even care anyways. Silently, he wrapped his arms around both of his daughters and continued grieving with them.

"I'm sorry!" Roxanne sobbed into his chest.

"Shh! I know. It's all right. It's going to be okay, honey." Ben whispered, stroking her back as she continued to sob.

"I thought I was going to lose her. What the flip was she thinking?" She screamed before sobbing once more.

Ben sighed before lifting Rosalina off the ground and walking away from the large pile of sharp rocks, still crying with Rosalina, who was now in his arms and crying loudly against his shoulder. Roxanne slowly followed them from behind.

"It's my fault my sister almost committed suicide!" Ben heard his daughter scream and sob as they got closer to the cave twenty minutes later. This was terrible. Roxanne nearly killed herself and now Rosalina's blaming herself for it.

_How would the herd react to this?_ Ben asked himself. He shook his head before he felt Rosalina jump out of his arms and started walking ahead of him with Roxanne walking alongside her. "Rosalina, Roxanne, where are you going?" He asked his daughters as they started walking ahead of him.

"I think they need some time alone. Maybe, they'll run into the herd while they're at it. In the meantime, I think I should go down to this 'Dinotopia' that Rosalina mentioned. Now, I just need to remember where the entrance is." He told himself as he walked the opposite direction to find his destination. He hoped that he wouldn't get lost during his search. _Hopefully, Rosalina isn't going to kill herself like her sister did._ Ben thought with a bit of worry striking him every time he thought about it over and over.

On twins' end, the depressed she-weasels walked through the early twilight, their eyes glistening with more tears and their chests feeling heavy with sadness. When Roxanne almost got away with suicide, Rosalina felt like it was the end of the world. Without her sister, she was nothing. _Why did I have to bring up the fact that I found my dad? Oh, this is my fault!_ Rosalina screamed in her head.

"Hey, sis. Are you okay?" Roxanne asked softly. Rosalina turned her head and nodded. "Please don't scare me like that again. I really thought I was going to lose you."

"I won't. I promise." Roxanne hugged Rosalina tightly. Suddenly, they bumped into something wooly. They looked up to see Ellie in front of them. "Rosalina, Roxanne, you're back. How are you, and your sister?" The she-mammoth asked the blue-eyed weasel. This question made Rosalina bawl and fall to her knees.

"Ellie, what's going on out there? Who's crying?" A male voice asked from the inside of the cave. "Come out here and see for yourself. Be careful not to wake Peaches though." Ellie replied.

Rosalina and Roxanne heard groaning then heard footsteps coming from the cave then she realized that Manny was the one who had been awakened from her crying. Manny stared down at her with confusion then asked, "Hey, Rosalina and Roxanne, what are you two doing up here? Never mind, why are you crying, Rosalina?"

The sad she-weasel looked up at the male mammoth then commanded, "Wake the others up then I'll tell you." He did just that and now everybody crowded around Rosalina and her sister with confusion and worry. Rosalina took a deep breath then she whimpered, "My sister almost killed herself." A lot of gasps were heard before she continued. "Wait. What happened?" Crash asked the weasel.

"I told my dad that I was going to find my sister after she ran away from him. He let me. As soon as I caught a little bit of my sister's scent, I ran through shrubs to see my sister preparing to stab herself with a sharp rock. I was almost too late to save her. It's all my fault." Rosalina broke down into tears, as well as everybody in the herd.

"M-m-my b-b-best f-f-friend a-a-almost d-died?" Peaches stammered through her sobs. _She must've heard the commotion and decided to wake up and find out what was going on. It seems like she already knows now._ Ellie thought as her daughter ran up to her. The she-mammoth wrapped her trunk around her daughter and pulled her into a hug, as did Manny.

The possum brothers held on to Rosalina and Roxanne as they sobbed. Crash used Eddie's tail as a tissue, which made his twin brother snatch his tail away from him angrily. "Guys, now is not the time to start a fight." Manny said to the possums in a somber tone.

"I'm sorry that I woke you up, but ever since Manny considered my sister and me part of the herd, I just felt like we have nearly lost a herd member and I nearly lost my sister. I thought I would go ahead and inform you guys and… yeah." Rosalina sighed sadly, pressing her ears against her head.

Ellie gave Peaches to Manny before asking the she-weasel, "When do you think Buck will come back to get you, sweetie?"

"I don't know. I'll just find him. I'm pretty sure that my father is already down at Dinotopia to tell Buck and Jenna. Oh, I can't wait to see them again. Let's just say we had some family drama going on before my sister and I got here." Rosalina started rubbing her right paw across her left arm with her gaze averted.

"What happened?" Sid asked, interested.

Rosalina sighed, "Well, when I told Buck that I found my real father, he seemed a bit upset. That's when he told me to wait inside the passageway I made to get here. Then, my sister thought it would be a great idea to eavesdrop their conversation, I included. I didn't want to, but it was better than just standing in there doing nothing. When Buck said that he was going to take us back to our father, I got kind of upset and ran to Dinotopia, crying."

She paused for a breather before continuing, "After that, I heard Roxanne scream at Buck then Jenna calling after her. Few minutes later, my sister was dragging me by the arm out of the passageway. As soon as we left, I could have sworn I heard Jenna crying. I really didn't want to leave them, but my sister forced me to." Roxanne felt the heat of embarrassment in her cheeks.

Everyone stared at her in silence before Diego walked up to the she-weasel and asked, "How did Buck take it?"

"Well, when Roxanne dragged me back into the cave, I saw Buck on the ground. I guess he must've fainted or something. In my opinion, I think Roxanne took this way too seriously and just lost her mind. On the other hand, I hope Buck and Jenna are okay." Rosalina whispered softly.

"Me, too." Roxanne whispered.

"Wow! How did he faint?" Eddie asked her, his brother staring at Rosalina with interest.

"I guess when Roxanne said that we were leaving him. I know he loves me and my sister so much. Roxanne just didn't feel that way anymore. I guess that's why she wanted to kill herself. Or, maybe she did it because of something personal. I can't blame her. She's been through a lot of things in her life."

Rosalina's bottom lip started to quiver before she started crying again. The herd gave the weasel sympathetic looks until Ellie lifted Rosalina off the ground with her trunk and placed her onto one of her tusks. "Come on. How about you two stay with us tonight? You must've been through a lot tonight and you need your rest." With that, the she-mammoth walked into the herd's cave, with the guys following behind.


	25. Chapter 25

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 25

Down at Dinotopia, Buck and Jenna had finally reached Buck's home and were now resting, except for Buck. He was sharpening his knife near the fire he made to keep them warm. Jenna stared at him with sad eyes from her sleeping area then she got up and walked over to Buck.

She sat down next to him, causing Buck to jump and turn his head. "I thought you were asleep, lass." He said as he continued to sharpen his knife.

"I couldn't sleep." Jenna replied, staring at the blazing fire in front of them.

"Me neither. I couldn't stop thinking about the girls." He sighed.

Buck set his knife down beside him and stared at Jenna with sadness in his eye. Jenna nodded understandingly then whispered, "I know. Me, too. I miss them so much."

"I miss them, too." He agreed.

After a long silence, Jenna sighed, "I know that this subject is getting annoying, but I never stop thinking about my parents' deaths. They replay over and over in my sleep. Before my mother died, she taught me how to sing this song. I don't know if I can remember the words, but I'll give it a shot."

"Let me hear it, lass." Buck smiled a bit.

The light-brown she-weasel nodded then grabbed Buck's paw in hers and walked over to the entrance of the cave. Then, she broke into song.

_Jenna: I found myself today,_

_Oh I found myself and ran away,  
>something pulled me back, <em>

_Voice of reason I forgot I had, _

_All I know is your not here to say, _

_What you always used to say,_

_But it's written in the sky tonight._

_So I won't give up, _

_No I won't break down, _

_Sooner than it seems life turns around, _

_And I will be strong _

_Even if it all goes wrong, _

_When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe, _

_Someone's watching over me_

Buck sighed through his nose as he listened to her sing. _Gosh, she has a very pretty singing voice. She's doing great._ He thought, feeling goosebumps running up and down his body as Jenna continued to sing.

_Seen that ray of light, _

_And it's shining on my destiny,_

_Shining all the time_

_And I won't be afraid_

_To follow everywhere it's taking me_

_All I know is yesterday is gone_

_And right now I belong _

_To this moment, to my dreams._

_So I won't give up, _

_No I wont' break down, _

_Sooner than it seems life turns around, _

_And I will be strong _

_Even if it all goes wrong_

_When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe_

_Someone's watching over me._

_What does it mean?_

_It doesn't matter what people say_

_And it doesn't matter how long it takes_

_Believe in yourself and you'll fly, high,_

_And it only matters how true you are_

_Be true to yourself and follow your heart_

Buck's eye started to glaze over in tears. This song sounded beautiful with Jenna singing it. He wondered where she had learned the song, but he decided not to speak and let the she-weasel sing the last portion of the song.

_So I won't give up, _

_No I wont' break down, _

_Sooner than it seems life turns around, _

_And I will be strong _

_Even if it all goes wrong_

_When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe..._

_That I won't give up,  
>no I wont' break down,<em>

_Sooner than it seems life turns around, _

_And I will be strong_

_Even when it all goes wrong _

_when I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe..._

_that someone's watching over_

_someone's watching over_

_someone's watching over me_

_yeah yeah oh-OH.._

_Someone's watching over me..._

Jenna had tears in her eyes after she finished the song. This song reminded her of her parents. She remembered how they always told her that they would always love her and watch over her. Now that they were gone, she felt like an empty shell without them. She hoped that her parents are proud of who she is. She already knew that her parents were, but still. She was glad that her parents were watching over her.

If she could go back in time, she would've went back to the days where she was a little kit and her parents were standing right behind her, smiling. This thought made Jenna cry softly, letting the held back tears fall.

Buck saw her crying and sighed, "This song reminds you of somebody, doesn't it?"

"Yes, my parents. Sorry, I can't get them out of my head. I feel small without them." Jenna gasped out. Buck wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and his left paw held both of her paws, giving both of them a squeeze.

Jenna smiled softly at him before resting her head against his chest, her tears soaking Buck's fur. "You know that your parents are watching you from up there, lass. Even in death, they still love you." He said matter-of-factly.

"I know, but it's really hard to move on." The she-weasel muttered sadly, wiping the tears away with the back of her paw.

"Don't I know it?" He agreed, nuzzling Jenna's hair with his cheek. She sighed dreamily before nuzzling him back, just under his chin.

Suddenly, they heard rustling of shrubs from a distance. Jenna jumped and hid behind Buck in fear. The male weasel stared at the bushes for a good minute to see a weasel walking towards them. He could make out a male weasel figure with his hazel eyes glowing in the darkness.

Finally, his gasped to see Rosalina's father, Ben, walking towards them with a depressed look on his face. Of course, he and Jenna never saw this weasel before. Buck snapped out of his trance when his companion asked the male weasel nervously, "Who are you?"

"The name's Ben, Rosalina and Roxanne's father." This information made Jenna and Buck's eyes widen. _So, this is their fatha'?_ Buck wondered before shaking his head.

"Wot are you doing here?" Buck asked the male with a hint of coldness in his tone. After a few seconds of silence, Ben answered, "I came down here because…..I have some news. It's Roxanne." Jenna gasped then asked softly, "What h-h-happened to her? Is she okay?"

Ben sighed, "Roxanne…she… almost stabbed herself with a sharp rock. Rosalina asked me if she could find her sister, and I let her. When I thought that she was gone for a long while, I decided to find her. That's when I found Rosalina and Roxanne sobbing on each other after I heard her scream Roxanne's name. That's when I found out that she was trying to commit suicide."

Tears rolled down everybody's cheeks. Controlling his shaky voice, Ben whimpered, "I a-also came d-down here to tell you that the twins are okay and they're up in the Ice Age, probably waiting for you. Rosalina's probably already told the herd, and let me tell you, there may be a lot of tear-stained faces, with Rosalina being the main one sobbing her heart out."

Buck felt broken. He had almost lost another loved one. The male jumped once he felt Jenna collapse into his arms and began to sob uncontrollably. Buck held Jenna tightly in his arms. He was trying his best to hold back more tears, but one managed to escape his eye and it rolled down his cheek.

"Let me get my knife and we -we'll be r-r-ready ta' go." Buck stammered sadly as he let go of Jenna to retrieve his knife that was lying on the ground near the fire. Finally, after Jenna put out the fire and Buck had his knife in his paw, they walked away from the cave and made their way to the Ice Age entrance, which would be a forty minute walk for them.

As they walked, Jenna gave the one-eyed weasel a sorrow-stricken look with tears in her eyes. Buck stared at her with the same expression and wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He watched as the she-weasel rested her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his torso and started to cry.

Behind them, Ben tried not to cry by the sound of Jenna's sobs and soft heavy breathing. _Why did Roxanne try to attempt this? If she were to do what she almost did to herself, she would have left the people who loved her. She would've thrown everything away._ With that thought in his mind, he started crying softly, which caused Buck to crane his neck to look at him.

"You all right, lad?" He asked quietly.

"I just can't believe she tried to do that." Ben sniffed, averting his gaze to hide his tears. Buck's ears perked up as soon as he heard Jenna sob harder into his shoulder.

"I know. I can't believe she did either." He replied, pressing his ears against his head and pulling Jenna more closely to him.

Finally, Jenna stopped crying then asked Ben with worry in her tone, "Is Rosalina okay?"

"Miss, she nearly lost her sister. I doubt that she would be okay. Let's just hope that Rosalina doesn't kill herself." Ben sighed. Buck and Jenna nodded their heads slowly and continued to walk towards the entrance cave.

Jenna whispered to Buck, "I'm starting to have a feeling that Rosalina is probably going to die from grieving so much, just like my father."

"Oh, don't say that. It'll make me even more worried fo' her than I am right now." He groaned, placing a paw on the side of his aching head.

"Sorry. I just have these feelings, you know?" The she-weasel removed Buck's arm from her waist then stood in front of him.

She caressed his cheek before sending a gentle kiss to his lips. Buck returned the kiss and wrapped his free arm around her waist again, pulling her closer. "I miss the girls." Jenna whispered during the kiss.

"I miss them, too. I miss them so much." Buck whispered back.

"Uh, guys. This is no time for public display of affection, we need to get back up there and find Rosalina." Ben told them sternly, ruining their moment.

The couple pulled away slowly before walking side-by-side again. Buck whispered to Jenna, "I hope we get ta' see Rosy in one piece."

"Buck, I promise you. Rosalina and Roxanne will hopefully be just fine." Jenna sighed, rubbing her arm.

"I hope you're right." Buck said truthfully, wrapping an arm around Jenna then squeezing her shoulders affectionately, causing the she-weasel to smile softly.

Ben rolled his hazel eyes. _They just won't stop acting lovey-dovey towards each other, will they?_ He snorted quietly at the thought and began to think about Rosalina. He wondered if she was all right. He even hoped that Roxanne didn't actually try to kill herself, but he knew that she did.

Suddenly, Ben had a flashback that took place of the day when he and Clarissa used to walk over to the exact same pile of sharp rocks. The female said to him in a serious tone, "Don't try to pick up a sharp rock. I heard that one time my friend did a stunt near this exact pile and got torn to shreds. He better be lucky that he survived that. If you ever see him, you'll see a lot of scars and scratches all over him."

"Don't worry. I won't. It's better to stay in one piece than getting killed in the "Pile of Death"." Ben replied.

Buck turned his head to see Ben daydreaming from behind him and Jenna. Snorting quietly, he shouted, "Ay, lad, quit slacking back there!" This caught Jenna's attention. She turned her head to see Ben jump then shake his head.

"Sorry, I was kind of in my state of mind." The male chuckled nervously, causing Jenna to chuckle quietly along with him and Buck to just shake his head in disapproval. Buck and Jenna turned their heads to watch for any signs of danger that might come in their direction.

"Buck, how much further until we get to the entrance cave?" Jenna asked her male companion as they continued to walk towards their destination. Buck thought for a minute until he answered, "In just about twenty minutes, I guess."

The she-weasel nodded before a yawn escaped her throat, causing Buck to chuckle a bit. "Ay, are you getting tired, lass?" He asked the tired she-weasel. Yawning, she replied, "No, not really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm….sure." Jenna yawned before finally resting her head against Buck's shoulder.

He chuckled again then asked Ben, "Ay, lad, do you mind holdin' my knife. I think I need ta' carry a sleepin' beauty." The hazel-eyed male nodded. Buck gave him his knife for him to hold until Jenna woke back up. Ben watched as the one-eyed weasel lifted Jenna off the ground and held her bridal-style then continued walking with her in his arms.

Ben had another flashback after watching that. This time, it was about the days when he held Clarissa off the ground, like Buck did with Jenna earlier, when they were mates to when they were mates for life. He would have done that more often if he had not left Clarissa when she was pregnant with his girls. He still regretted that day he left her to take care of and deliver the girls on her own with a monster. A low growl escaped his throat at the thought.

Hearing this, Buck turned his head to see a ticked off Ben behind him. _He is just going through emotions._ He thought to himself. Shaking his head, he asked, "Lad, wot is going through your head? First time, you were just upset. Now, you're just ticked off. Wot are ya' thinking about?"

Ben froze for a second. _Since when did he care?_ He thought coldly before he lied, "I'm not thinking about anything. I'm just upset and angry at myself for letting Roxanne run away so she could attempt to kill herself. I couldn't stop her, but thank goodness that Rosalina did." Falling for his lie, Buck pressed his ears against his head with a sad sigh escaping him.

"I know, lad, but these things happen. If Rosy can get through this without committing suicide, we can all get through this situation too." Buck reassured him. Ben smiled a bit before thanking him. Buck nodded in reply before keeping his eye back on the route they were taking to get to the entrance/exit cave.


	26. Chapter 26

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 26

Me: Just in case you get confused, Roxanne's not dead. She's just having a dream of what would happen if she were to kill herself.

* * *

><p>Roxanne's Dream Sequence<p>

Roxanne groaned as her hazel eyes began to open. Her eyesight was blurry at first, but soon it cleared up to where she could see where she was. She gasped when she saw that she wasn't on the ground, but on a dark cloud. _Um…where am I and what am I wearing?_ She asked herself mentally.

She looked down to see that she wasn't wearing her usual orange flower petal dress, which was replaced with a beautiful white dress. What frightened her was: her entire body was literally glowing like a star. She hoped that somebody would tell her where she was and where she got the dress and how her body was glowing like it was.

Scared, Roxanne called out shakily, "H-h-hello? Is anybody here?"

"Shh! You must rest, sweetheart." A calm, female voice told her. Roxanne's eyes widened. She recognized that voice. Slowly, she lifted her head to see her mother, Clarissa, on her knees beside her and staring at her with those cerulean eyes that reminded her of her sister. She noted that her mother's eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight like her sister's eyes. Shaking her head, Roxanne stared at her mother with anxiety in her eyes.

"Mom, where am I and what happened to my everyday dress?" The frightened teenaged weasel asked Clarissa, shaking nervously. Sighing sadly, Clarissa answered, "You're dead, Roxanne. You're in heaven now. And, your other question, I have no clue at all. Sorry."

"Where's Tim?" Roxanne asked, realizing that he was not with her.

"Oh, I…..um, funny thing about that….." Clarissa started, but was cut off by her daughter. "What did you do?" She asked her mother in a nervous tone.

"You're not going to like this," She started. "I sent him back to his home, which is in the Ice Age, but don't worry. He's changed now remember?"

Clarissa stared at her daughter, waiting for her reaction. Finally, Roxanne muttered, "I still don't believe the 'Tim's changed now' thing. Other than that, **WHY DID YOU DO THAT FOR?**" After she screamed that second sentence out, thunder sounded and rain started pouring down from the cloud Roxanne and Clarissa were standing on.

Clarissa jumped at her daughter's angry tone. Her ears perked up when Roxanne repeated her question, only a little quieter but still angry. "Why did you do that?" She asked in a disturbing, cold voice. Clarissa's cerulean eyes began to glaze with tears.

Finally, she whispered, "I thought I would give him a second chance to live again. So, I let him go back. But you, you died too early and you're going to have to stay with me for a while. Tell me the truth when I ask you this. Why did you kill yourself?"

Roxanne froze. The reason why she had killed herself was personal, which meant that she couldn't tell her own mother why she did something so stupid. Biting her lip, she lied, "Um, I was put under a spell that made me kill myself."

_Dumb tail! That is one of the worst lies I have ever told! As smart as my mother is, she knows that that is not even possible to be put under a spell, unless you got hypnotized by someone._ She thought angrily to herself.

"Roxanne, tell me, please. You can tell me. I'm your mother." Clarissa begged her daughter. _Well, she won't get off my back until I tell her. Oh, well, here goes nothing._ Roxanne finally took the courage to tell her, "If you want the truth, fine. The reason why I killed myself was because I wanted to get away from all this drama, pain, and any other hell I'm going through."

Clarissa's eyes widened as Roxanne averted her gaze and sobbed, feeling guilty for doing something so selfish. Clarissa sighed sadly and gently lifted her daughter from the ground and held her in a tight embrace, crying with Roxanne as she did so.

"Honey, I know you've been through a lot, but did you really have to kill yourself just to get away from all of this? Think about who you would be hurting right now. You've hurt your sister, Buck, Jenna, Ben, even the herd. You hurt a lot of people who loved you. Did you kill yourself without thinking or something?" Clarissa asked, releasing Roxanne from their hug to stare at her and wait for her answer.

Twiddling her thumbs, Roxanne said truthfully, "I did think it over. My head said to do it, but my heart said to not do it. Instead of listening to my heart, I listened to my head and now I'm here. I had so many questions running through my head before I committed suicide. They were all about how Buck, Rosalina, Jenna, and the herd would react and how they were going to take it. I wish I never killed myself in the first place, but I did anyway. I was just so upset as soon as I met my real dad for the first time."

Clarissa stared at her daughter with sympathy in her eyes. Finding her words, she said, "Sweetheart, I know you may be mad at Ben right now because of the past, but please love him. He really does love you and he regrets everything. You may not know this, but I can see the sorrow and guilt in his eyes every day. It hurts me inside that he feels so terrible for leaving me to deliver you and your sister with Tim. Please, show him that you still love him or that you forgive him. It would mean so much."

"Mom, are you saying that you're going to send me back to Buck and Jenna?" Roxanne asked, an excited smile forming on her face.

Chuckling, her mother answered, "I don't know. We'll see. In the meantime, you need to get some rest. You've been through a lot tonight, sweetheart. Here, I'll help you get settled." With that, Clarissa sat Roxanne down and curled her body around her daughter's in an attempt to keep her warm. Sighing, Roxanne said, "I missed this. Do you remember how Rosalina and I would cuddle up next to you every night when Tim wouldn't sleep next to you?"

"Oh, yes. I remember those nights very well and I always think about that whenever I feel lonesome. I'm glad we got to do this again. It takes me back." Clarissa smiled down at her daughter.

Few minutes later, Roxanne yawned and settled into her mother's warmth and fell asleep. Clarissa smiled softly before falling asleep herself.

End of Dream Sequence

Roxanne woke up, wide-eyed. She lifted a paw to see if she was glowing. She wasn't. Then, she looked over at her twin sister, who was still sleeping peacefully next to Peaches. Next, she looked at the strange herd. Sighing in relief, Roxanne settled back on the stone she was sleeping on and whispered, "That was an interesting dream." She let her eyes close again and fell back asleep.


	27. Chapter 27

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 27

Dream Sequence

_Thunder boomed as the rain poured down on a light brown female weasel. The she-weasel strolled nervously through the Jurassic world, sniffing the air as if she was looking for something or someone. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a bloody body that showed no sign of life._

_The female walked over to the bloody body and gasped in horror to see a white-furred and black-spotted she-weasel with bite marks and deep gashes all over her. There was blood staining every inch of her blue flower petal dress. The victim lay there before her, dead. The light brown she-weasel screamed, "No. No, no, no, no, no, no! Rosalina!" _

_After she mourned the fallen she-weasel, she suddenly picked up another scent that smelled of fruit and jungle. Hesitating, she kept trying to smell for this scent; the rain was making it hard for her to pick up the odor. Finally, she has found the scent that belonged to the person and made her way towards a male weasel wearing a leaf over his right eye and holding a dagger that was aimed to stab him in the heart._

_Gasping in horror, the she-weasel ran to the male and tried to heal the areas where he had purposely cut himself. "It's no use, Jenna. Stop trying ta' heal me, please. It's ova' fo' me now." The male told her coldly in his English accent._

_"Buck, I'm not going to let you die! I already lost Rosalina. I don't want to lose you, too. Don't stab yourself. Please!" Jenna pleaded Buck, coughing and gasping for air as the rain began to make her sick. Crying softly, the male whispered, "I'm sorry, Jen. This is the last time you'll see me." _

_He put his knife down before lifting his left paw up to Jenna's cheek and started to caress it affectionately. The she-weasel sobbed as she grabbed Buck's free paw and squeezed it tightly. He smiled sadly before pulling Jenna into a passionate, slow kiss. She kissed back and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Buck did the same before pulling away and picking his knife off the ground. Jenna watched in horror as he aimed the knife at his chest again._

_Before ending his life, Buck whispered, "Goodbye, Jenna."_

_"Buck!" the she-weasel screamed after Buck stabbed himself with his own knife. She watched as he fell to the ground, dead. A pool of blood formed from underneath the male, staining the lifeless male's fur. This was it. Jenna was alone….again._

End of Dream Sequence

"NO, BUCK!" Jenna cried out loudly in her sleep. Buck quickly looked down at Jenna, who was crying, screaming, and trembling, in his arms.

"What's wrong with her?" Ben asked the male, who started to worry about the screaming she-weasel. Ignoring his question, he quietly shushed her then whispered, "I'm here, Jenna. I'm here. You're safe."

Jenna jolted up awake, panting and sobbing. She accidentally bonked heads with Buck in the process. Buck grunted in pain. Yes, his head hurt after that, but right now, he was less worried about the impact their heads made, but more worried about his best friend to even care if his head was hurting or not after that head connection. _Wot eva' just happened, I betta' calm 'er down._ Buck told himself as he kept his eye on the panicking female in his arms.

Jenna quickly looked up to see, to her relief, Buck still holding her bridal-style off the ground. "Buck! You're alive!" She screamed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. Buck gave the she-weasel an awkward look before asking her, "Of course I'm alive, Jen. Wot kind of dream go' you ta' think that I was dead?"

"It was terrible, Buck. I'd rather tell you later." Jenna's body and paws were trembling in fear as she kept hugging him tightly around the neck, but was being careful not to squeeze his neck too hard for that he wouldn't be able to breathe.

"I'd rather find out wot you were dreamin' about right now, since ya' worried me, big time." Buck replied as rubbed Jenna's back with his left paw that was already placed on her back. Sighing in defeat, Jenna whimpered softly, "I dreamt that I lost you and Rosalina."

"How, lass?" He asked, interested and feeling sympathetic for his friend. "Well, Rosalina had…. bite marks and long gashes all over her and she was… dead. Then, you went….. suicidal and stabbed yourself with your… knife. Oh, Buck it was terrible. I really thought that I was… alone again after that dream. I'm sorry if this… offended you." Jenna paused briefly as she explained this to him after she stopped hugging Buck, but kept her arms around his neck, afraid to let go of him.

Buck was just shocked. _This is wot my sweet best friend was dreaming about. Time fo' me ta' get in comfort mode. _He thought to himself before resting his head against Jenna's and started to rock her slowly. Jenna realized this and nuzzled Buck under his chin, breathing calmly through her nose as she started to feel relaxed and safe. He smiled softly at her before whispering, "It didn't offend me at all, the dream. It just shocked me that you would have a nightmare like that. Otha' than that, you'll neva' be alone. Remember that. And your dream, I would neva' kill myself, even if I really wanted to. I wouldn't kill myself fo' the sake of the herd, Rosy, and you."

"Thank you, Buck. I feel a little better now. That was really sweet of you to say- what you just said. I feel lucky that I found a guy who cares about his responsibilities and me. Well, if you do care about me, that is." Jenna sighed, feeling slightly upset again.

Buck looked down at her, shocked, yet again, and said in a serious tone, "Lass, of course I care about you. It's already obvious that you care about me and the girls. If I didn't care about you, I would've just left you in the middle of this danger-filled place so you could die. I'm no' that kind of mammal. I care, Jenna."

Jenna's heart swelled up by his words. _That was so sweet. _She thought adoringly as she brought her right paw to Buck's uncovered cheek, caressing it. Buck smiled at her again and pressed his forehead against Jenna's, staring into her baby blue eyes. She flushed a blood-red color as she stared into the male's sapphire blue eye. Finally, Buck pressed his lips to hers, holding her closer to him.

"Guys, again, we need to get to Rosalina. We're almost to the herd's cave anyway." Ben reminded the pair who pulled away as soon as they heard the sound of his voice. Suddenly, thunder boomed out of nowhere and rain started to pour down on the three weasels. "We're already in the Ice Age? How long was I asleep?" Jenna asked loudly for that it was raining hard and it was hard to hear. "I don't know! I lost count, as always! "Buck yelled over the storm.

Jenna screamed when she saw a flash of lightning hit a tree that was near them and watched as it started to tip over. "Run quickly, lad! We need ta' find a place ta' sleep fo' the night!" Buck addressed to Ben as he ran through the storm, still holding Jenna bridal-style.

"Whoa!" Ben yelped as the tree almost fell on him, but he moved out of the way before it could. He tried to catch up to Buck, which was very impossible for him because he was just a faster runner than he was. He panted heavily as he continued catch up to Buck, who was now waiting for him from a distance. After he finally caught up with him, the two males continued running through the storm.

"Guys, look over there!" Jenna yelled at Ben and Buck, pointing at a good-sized cave to stay in. "Good eye, Jen!" Buck praised her as he and Ben ran towards the cave. Once they were inside their resting spot, Buck set Jenna back onto the ground then retrieved his knife from Ben before sitting down, shivering violently from the coldness of the rain. Ben saw this before he said to him, "I'll find some stuff to get a fire going." With that, he ran out of the cave to search for the 'stuff'.

Now, Buck and Jenna were alone, shivering and freezing. Buck turned his head to see Jenna shaking just as much as he was. Smiling, he scooted closer to her and suggested, "Maybe this will warm us up." Jenna gave him a confused look. That didn't go unnoticed by Buck. He just chuckled before scooting closer to her and wrapping his arms around her.

_If he's trying to keep me warm, which would be the sweetest thing he could do for me, he is the best. I wish I could tell him that I love him, but I'm still waiting for the right time. Well, obviously. It's very sweet of Buck to try to keep me warm, even though we're both damp to the bone._ Jenna thought absentmindedly as she turned her head to smile adoringly at Buck. He smiled back and nuzzled his cheek against Jenna's damp hair. The she-weasel chuckled slightly, "Look at us. I say we're starting off great. What do you think?"

Buck smiled wider at Jenna, telling her that he thought so too. He saw a wider smile form on Jenna's face, which made the butterflies in his stomach flutter. _Gosh, she looks beautiful when she smiles. _He thought happily. Buck began to take in her features like he did when he first saw her. He stared at her skinny body that was covered up with that leaf dress he saw her wear when he and the girls first met her.

Next, he looked into her baby blue eyes that seemed to sparkle when she was in a positive mood or just calm. Finally, he took in her sweet smile, her damp fur, and, her shoulder-length brunette hair that framed her face perfectly when it was both dry and wet. He realized that he was staring and averted his gaze in embarrassment.

Jenna saw this and laughed softly, "What's wrong? Saber- tooth tiger caught your tongue?"

"Sorry, lass. I was daydreamin' fo' a moment." Buck said quickly. _Aww, he's embarrassed. I knew that he was staring at me like it was the first time we met all over again, except that it wasn't raining and my hair wasn't damp. He didn't have to hide the fact that he was staring. Oh, well, I would've been embarrassed too if I was staring at Buck that way._ Jenna began to blush a dark shade of red and averted her gaze shyly.

At last, Ben came back into the cave with a couple of flint stones. He froze right where he stood to see Buck and Jenna cuddled up together. "Uh, am I interrupting something?" He asked the pair, stunned by what he saw. The weasels sat up and stared at Ben.

"I don't know. You ask me." Buck replied sarcastically. Jenna glared at him sternly and whispered, "Be nice." Ben smirked at Buck, causing the one-eyed weasel to glare at him.

Realizing that Ben didn't have any more wood to make a bonfire, Jenna asked him, "Um, Ben, aren't you missing….something?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you don't have any firewood with you." She informed him with a stare that asked 'are you really that stupid?' "Oh, you're right. Heh, sorry you two. I'll be right back, again." With that, Ben went out in the rain to find some wood.

Jenna shook her head then stared at Buck, who gave her a grateful look. "Thanks fo' getting rid of him again, lass." He said shamelessly as he lied down. Jenna snorted quietly before joining him, lying on her back with her eyes staring up at the cave ceiling above them. Finally, she sighed, "You hate Ben, don't you?"

"I don't hate 'im. I'm just jealous of 'im because he is the fatha' of my girls. I mean, his girls." Buck replied sadly, his ears pressing against his head as a frown formed on his face. "Oh, Buck." Jenna whispered after she turned her head and saw how miserable he looked.

She scooted closer to the male and changed her position to where she now lying on her right side and she was facing him. Buck wrapped his arms around Jenna and let out a distressed sigh. _Wow! His arms feel so strong against me. Why am I thinking about that now? Buck's upset, and here I am in my mind talking about how strong his arms are. Buck needs me at this moment, and, gosh darn it, I'm going to support him. _Jenna snapped out of her thoughts and stared at the male with compassion in her gaze.

Then, she stated, "I know you're depressed now. I am, too. But, just know, we will get through this. I swear." She planted a comforting kiss on his good eye, which made Buck smile softly. "I know we'll get through this, love. I just don't feel that way. That's all." The English-accented male told her, giving her a kiss on the nose in return.

Changing the subject, Jenna smiled, "Just think. Tomorrow, we get to find Rosalina and Roxanne and see them again. I bet they'll be happy to see us. Oh, I hope Rosalina is all right after that incident." Her smile turned into a sad frown after mentioning Roxanne's suicide attempt.

Sighing sadly, Buck murmured, "I know. She must be really upset. Gosh, I hate having visions of 'er crying and cutting 'erself with sharp things. It hurts me so much. I miss 'er." Jenna nodded understandingly and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, giving him a gentle hug. Buck returned the hug by pulling her closer to him, placing a paw on the back of her head and started cradling it lovingly. "I know you miss her, sweetheart. I miss her, too. But, we've got to be strong for Rosalina and Roxanne." Jenna told him in a soft whimper.

Buck pulled away from their hug to lift Jenna's chin with his fingers. He felt a smile form on his face before he whispered to her, "You're right. We should at least be strong fo' Rosy and support her."

"That's the spirit! Whew! All of this talking is making me tired." The she-weasel let a quiet yawn escape her throat as her eyelids began to feel heavy.

Smirking, Buck teased her, "How about you sleep with me tonight, lass?" He realized what he just said and quickly added while blushing insanely, "Th-that's no' wot I meant! I mean…" Jenna smiled and placed a paw on his arm gently, laughing softly.

"I know what you meant. You want me to sleep next to you." She laughed. It didn't take long before Buck began to laugh with her. _Her laugh is so adorable. No wonder I love laughing with her._ He thought as he continued to laugh.

Sighing, Buck chuckled, "Y-yeah. That's wot I meant."

"I know." Jenna yawned, resting her head against Buck's chest and let her eyes close, hoping for a good night's sleep. The male smiled down at her peaceful state. _She looks so beautiful when she's asleep. I wish I could keep my eye open long enough to take in her beauty, but I'm getting really tired. I don't think I should keep watch tonight, since we're up here and not down there with the dinos. I think I'll just get some shut-eye. _After that his said thought, he let his chin rest against Jenna's head and his tail wrap around hers.

Finally, the two weasels were asleep in each others' arms and Ben came back from getting wood for fire. "Hey, guys, I got the-"He paused to see Buck and Jenna asleep. Looking down at the wood, he muttered to himself, "I went back in the rain for nothing. Oh well, more fire for me. Besides, their fur is already dry and I'm pretty sure they look cozy and warm already."

Ben placed the wood in the center of the cave then rubbed the two flint stones together to create a tiny spark that landed onto the pile of wood. He smiled, satisfied, and then blew on the spark, being careful not to blow hard. He double took quickly before the flame could burn the fur on his face. He huffed softly and lied down near the fire, enjoying the warmth it offered him. It didn't take but five minutes for Ben to fall asleep from the fire's heat.

_We would've gotten to the herd if it didn't start storming. Man, I would've been able to see Rosalina and Roxanne again if it didn't storm. Oh well, at least I get to see her tomorrow. I'm just going to stop worrying about the twins and think about something else._ Ben thought in his sleep. Suddenly, he heard a clicking sound echo in the cave. He opened his hazel eyes and looked around the cave, only to see Buck and Jenna still asleep. "This is weird." Ben muttered quietly to himself.

One of his ears twitched after he heard another clicking sound. Nervous, he called out shakily, "H-h-hello?"

"Hello to you too, Ben." A rough voice sneered. Ben gasped at what he saw. There, right in front of him, stood Tim. "NO!" Ben screamed out in fear as the male made a move to slash him across the chest.

Before his 'death', he screamed and opened his eyes that were bloodshot from his nightmare. He looked around the cave, like he did in his dream, to see Buck and Jenna still sleeping peacefully and Tim wasn't in the cave. Sighing, Ben breathed out, "Thank the stars it was just a dream." His eyes widened as he started to smell a wet substance. He sniffed the air that lead to his pelt. That's when he realized he wet himself. _Stupid nightmare made me wet myself. That's just humiliating. I better clean up._ He thought, embarrassed.

With a little difficulty, Ben got back on his feet and walked out of the cave. He noticed that it had stopped raining and the air smelt like dead fish. He focused on his objective and ran through the remaining portion of the night to find a shallow puddle to clean himself in.


	28. Chapter 28

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 28

Buck slowly opened his eye and saw the dark, cloudy sky. _Anotha' gloomy day here in the Ice Age, huh? Well, since Jen and I found out about Roxanne's incident, this weather fits my feelings perfectly._ He thought, looking down at a sleeping Jenna in his arms. "I really don't want ta' lose you." He muttered out loud. "Hm?" the sleeping she-weasel replied as her baby blue eyes fluttered open and stared up at him tiredly.

"Mornin', lass." Buck smiled down at her sadly. Jenna smiled back and sat up, along with Buck. Sighing through his nose, Buck took Jenna's paws in his and whispered, "We get ta' see Rosy today. Here's wot's going ta' happen: we meet up with the herd, say hi ta' everybody, then we go back home with Rosy and Roxanne. Did ya' get all that?"

He started to chuckle when he saw Jenna writing everything down on a good-sized leaf. He didn't know where she found it, but decided not to ask. Jenna realized this and started to smile sheepishly, feeling a rush of heat rush through her cheeks. Buck shook his head with a smile and chuckled, "You know how ta' make me laugh is anotha' thing I like about you."

"I just wanted to make sure we would remember. You never know when there will be something else to do while you're on a busy schedule." The light-brown female weasel blushed, averting her gaze in embarrassment.

Buck chuckled again before placing a paw on her cheek. He smiled, "Sorry I laughed. I just thought it was cute- wot you did. I just had ta' laugh. So, you like to be organized, I see. Well, that part of you will come in handy. Other thing is, I really want ta' kiss you right now, but I think we both have mornin' breath so I'll wait."

Jenna started to laugh softly. "You're funny. You know that, right?" She laughed, her eyes sparkling like shiny blue crystals as she stared at him.

"I always knew that I was funny. I'm glad that I can humor you easily." Buck smiled, getting up from the ground and helping Jenna up as he did so. After a long moment of silence, Jenna asked, "Hey, Buck, where did Ben go?" They looked around the cave and realized that he wasn't in the cave. Shrugging his shoulders, Buck said, "I bet he's already made a head start ta' get the herd. We betta' go."

"Right." The light brown she-weasel muttered.

Buck picked up his knife near to where he and Jenna slept last night and hoisted it over his left shoulder. Then, he wrapped his free arm around Jenna's waist and they both exited the cave in silence until Jenna asked him as soon as they were outside, "Buck, what were you talking about when you said that you didn't want to lose me or something like that?" She stared up at him to wait for his answer. Buck sighed. _She must've heard me say that. Well, time fo' an explanation. _He thought with nervousness filling the pit of his stomach.

"You can tell me. I won't laugh." The she-weasel promised, giving him a look that told him, 'you can trust me'. Buck gave in and sighed in defeat. He replied, "I was looking at the sky and I started thinking about Rosy and last night when we found out about Roxanne's incident. Since the weather out here is pretty gloomy, that's how I feel right now. Then, I started thinking about you and Rosy. And, I don't know wot I would do if I lost the both of you."

Jenna nodded then whispered, "I know you feel that way. I do too. But, listen to me," she stopped, taking Buck's free paw then gave it a gentle squeeze, and then said, "We'll get through this. If Rosalina can get through this, then we can too."

"I know. You said that to me last night." Buck reminded her, squeezing her paw. After walking for about fifteen minutes, they made it to the village where they heard two familiar voices shout in happiness and excitement, "Buck!"

"Crash! Eddie! Hi, guys!" Jenna greeted as she ran up to them. "Jenna!" They screamed happily, giving Jenna a tight hug. She hugged them back before they took off towards Buck, who they tackled to the ground and hugged him. The she-weasel chuckled at this before turning her head to see Rosalina and Roxanne heading their way. She was shocked by what Rosalina was wearing.

Rosalina was wearing a dress that was a very dark blue on the chest and stopped at her waist; the rest of the dress was black and ended near her ankle. Her black hair was straightened and her bangs covered her left eye and she had a sad smile on her face as she approached her and Buck.

Jenna was going to ask where her usual dress was and where she got the stuff to make the new one, but decided that that's not important at the moment. "Hi." Jenna heard Rosalina greet her with a depressed tone. Tearing up, Jenna replied, "Hey, sweetie. We heard what happened. Your father went down to Dinotopia to tell us. I'm so sorry, honey." The two she-weasels walked towards each other and entered each other's embrace.

Rosalina pulled out of the hug to walk towards Buck after Crash and Eddie were done giving him a bear hug. "Hi, daddy." She whimpered. Buck, too, was shocked by what she was wearing. Like Jenna, he decided not to ask. He was just glad to see Rosalina and Roxanne again and felt his heart swell after he her call him 'daddy'. _At least she still loves me._ Buck thought in relief.

"Ay, Rosy." Buck replied, wrapping his arms around her gently and protectively. Rosalina snuggled into Buck's warm fur, letting herself settle into his body temperature. Roxanne sighed sadly before running over to them and joining the hug.

"I almost lost her, Buck." The teen she-weasel's cerulean eyes started to fill up with tears. "I know, lass. How are you feeling?" Buck sighed, placing a paw on Rosalina's shoulder. "I feel like a complete sinner." She answered with hot tears rolling down her cheeks. Buck looked down at Rosalina and sighed sadly. "Rosy, this wasn't you fault, dear." The red-brown weasel whispered to her.

As soon as he said that, Rosalina pulled out of his embrace and screamed, "Yes it is! This is my fault! Don't try to convince me that it wasn't, Buckminster!" Everyone, including Peaches, who did it just for the fun, gasped.

Buck was taken aback. Rosalina never said his full name out of anger before. He watched as Rosalina walked away from him to Sid, who was closest to Roxanne, and started to sob uncontrollably into her sister's shoulder as she embraced her tightly.

They all looked down at Roxanne, who failing miserably to hold back the tears of guilt. Jenna wrapped her arms around Buck, Rosalina, and Roxanne and began to sob softly. He hugged them tightly, letting his own tears fall.

Ellie had her trunk wrapped around Manny's as she watched the weasels hug. The male mammoth squeezed Ellie's trunk, being careful not to squeeze too hard as he did so. Peaches wrapped her little trunk around her mother's and asked sadly, "Why are they crying?"

"They're just glad to see each other, sweetie." Ellie lied. She didn't want to lie to her, but she didn't want Peaches to think that they were sad, when they really were. Manny and Ellie hugged Peaches with a gentle grip. They were now in a family embrace.

Replaying their reaction when they heard about Roxanne's almost death, Crash and Eddie were hugging each other as they sobbed. Crash used Eddie's tail as a tissue, yet again. The possum's twin brother snatched his tail from his hands, giving him an angry glare.

"Don't start guys." Ellie warned her foster brothers once she let go Peaches and gave her to Manny. "But he used my tail as a-"

"No excuses. We need to support Rosalina, not argue during her time of need. Is that understood?" Ellie cut Eddie's complaint with her statement, waiting for both Crash and Eddie's answers. Finally, they replied slowly, "Yes ma'am."

"Thank you." The she-mammoth nodded as she approached Buck and Jenna, who were crying in each other's arms.

Ellie heard Buck's heavy breathing and sobs and also heard Jenna crying with him and trying to comfort him. "Are you two going to be okay?" She asked, causing both weasels to jump, startled by her voice, and turn their heads, only to see Ellie behind them. They calmed down and sighed in relief.

"This is all my fault. I'm the worst fosta' fatha' eva'. I let Roxanne run away, and I'm pretty sure that Rosalina is still blaming herself for wot almost happened. It's best if I just gave Rosy back ta' Ben. He's betta' at parenting than I eva' was." Buck suddenly sighed in his English accent as he cried softly on Jenna's shoulder.

"Buck, please don't do that. This wasn't your fault." Jenna whispered to him then asked kindly to Ellie, "Um, Ell, can you leave us alone for a moment? I need to talk to Buck."

"Sure, sweetie." The she-mammoth replied and did what Jenna requested.

"Wot is it, lass?" Buck asked the she-weasel, confused.

"Buck, you constantly keep forgetting what I told you. Here, let me quote it, 'don't doubt yourself as a foster father.' You keep forgetting that!" Jenna threw her arms in the air, frustrated. Buck whispered an apology to her. Calming down, the she-weasel lifted his chin before whispering, "I know you are. I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just that it ticks me off that you keep on doubting yourself. Now, follow me."

Confused, Buck did as he was told and followed Jenna away from the herd and his two foster daughters. Before they left, the light-brown female weasel asked the twins, "Hey, Rose, Roxanne, have you seen Ben yet? We thought that he was here."

"Um, no. We haven't seen him. I just hope that he didn't kill himself." Rosalina sighed sadly, petting Peaches's head. "If you want, after I take Buck somewhere, do you want us to find him for you?" Jenna asked. Rosalina nodded.

"Okay. We will do that and let you know where he is. See you later, Rosalina." With that, Buck and Jenna were on their way to their unknown destination.

"Jen, where're we going?" Buck asked as they walked away from the herd and Rosalina. "You'll see." Jenna gave him a somewhat reassuring smile and grabbed one of Buck's paws in hers. Breaking the short silence, Buck asked, "So, how was taking care of kids? Did any of 'em give you a hard time, or did they behave?"

"Well, there was this one time when I was babysitting four little hedgehogs. Whew! They were a troublemaking bunch." Jenna chuckled slightly.

"Wot happened?" The male asked, interested.

"Well, one of them squirted me with berry juice, which took three hours to clean off when I got home. Then, another one tackled me to the ground and threw water at my face." the she-weasel paused to see Buck trying to keep a straight face, but was losing battle.

"Go ahead and laugh. It's not like I care." Jenna muttered, crossing her arms across her chest and averting her gaze. Buck realized that he made the she-weasel upset and decided to make up for it. He wrapped his arm around Jenna's waist then lifted her chin and turned her head towards his direction. He whispered, "Hey, I'm sorry, lass. Can you continue?"

"No. Let's just talk about something else." The female weasel sighed.

"Will this cheer you up?" The red-brown weasel asked, pressing his lips to Jenna's.

Jenna's blue eyes widened in surprise, then closed them and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry, Jenna." Buck whispered during the kiss, causing the she-weasel to shudder. He pulled away from the kiss then chuckled at her love-stricken face.

"Well, um, that was a…. nice apology. I forgive you. I'm telling you now: Kissing me just to get me to forgive you won't always work." Jenna blushed, resting her head against Buck's shoulder. The male smiled softly down at her.

Suddenly, both Jenna and Buck's ears perked up by the sound of children screaming Jenna's name out in excitement. "Jenna! Jenna! Jenna! Jenna, you're okay!" The she-weasel recognized those kids. They were the ones that she had babysat before she fell through the ice and met Buck, Rosalina, and Roxanne. Jenna gasped as the aardvarks crowded around her and asked random questions like: 'who is that guy?', 'are you okay?', 'were you hurt?', 'did this guy hurt you?'

"Guys, calm down. I know you're glad to see me, but one question at a time." Jenna giggled. The aardvark in front of her asked, "Who is that guy next to you? Your boyfriend?" Jenna and Buck blushed as the kids started 'oohing' immaturely.

Giggling, the she-weasel answered, "You could say that. Kids, I would like to introduce you to Buck, the bravest, funniest, quickest, sweetest, and most handsome weasel from Dinotopia." Buck blushed hard at her words, causing the she-aardvarks to giggle girlishly.

Then, another aardvark kid asked, "Where is Dinotopia?"

"Well, it's underneath the ice, but there is also a cave that leads to that place. Don't tell your parents about it and don't you ever walk in there. The chances of getting eaten by a dinosaur are at a high rate. I don't want any of you to get hurt." Jenna explained in a serious tone. The aardvarks nodded before giving her a quick hug and ran off, yelling their goodbyes.

Jenna turned to Buck and matched the smile that was on his face. "You're so good with kids. No wonder Rosy and Roxanne love you so much." Buck complimented, wrapping an arm around Jenna. She blushed, "You really think so?"

"I know so. Um, Jenna, may I tell you something?" The male weasel asked. Jenna read his look and saw that he was being serious. Nodding, she whispered, "Let's go somewhere private so no one will hear us. Then, you can tell me." Buck nodded then squeezed Jenna's waist affectionately as they started walking again.


	29. Chapter 29

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 29

"Jen, where are you taking me, lass?" Buck asked as they started to approach a cave. Giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder, Jenna answered, "It's my home. It's not much, but it works." He nodded then followed the female into her cave.

"There aren't very exciting things in here, but you can go ahead and look around. Some of the things I have are the remaining memories of my mom and dad before they died. Be careful around them though. I don't want anything bad to happen to them." The she-weasel said softly.

Buck gave her a reassuring smile before walking over to them, along with Jenna. Buck looked at all the various things that were on a table-like platform and stared at them in wonder and interest. Then, something caught his eye. He saw a stone portrait of her parents. The father had his arm wrapped around the mother's waist and they were both smiling. The first weasel he looked at was the mother. She had long brunette hair, forest green eyes, and Jenna's skinny figure. Next, he looked at the father. He was an inch taller than the mother and had Jenna's eyes.

Jenna saw him staring at it and smiled, "Do you like it? Believe it or not, I was the one that made that portrait." Buck looked at her in shock. _She made this? Wow! That's amazing! She actually captured their features very well. Her mother is beautiful, but not as beautiful as Jenna._ Buck thought. Finding his words, the red-brown weasel smiled, "I didn't know you were artistic, lass. This is amazing!"

"Thanks. I was around six years old when I painted this." Jenna said, staring at the portrait. "Are you joking?" The male asked, very surprised by that fact. "No! It's true!" She laughed.

Suddenly, Buck saw something shimmer. Next to the portrait, was a necklace that had two rubies in the middle and two blue topazes that were on either side of the red gems. Jenna caught his gaze and explained, "This used to be my mother's necklace when she was married to my dad. He made it and gave it to her as an anniversary gift. She treasured it forever. It was the only remaining thing that I found after the sabers killed her. I found it lying on the ground and kept it to myself. I didn't want my dad to find out about my mother's death, but then somebody told him a few years later and he died from grief."

After a long silence, Buck asked, "Do you think that you can let me see wot you look like with your motha's necklace on?"

"Sure. Just be careful with it, though." Jenna said to her as the male got behind her and put the necklace around her neck. "Lift your hair up, please." Jenna did what she was told and smiled as soon as Buck got the necklace fastened and in place.

Buck turned Jenna around and looked at her image and the necklace. "Jen, it looks beautiful on you. With your dress being green, it makes it look even more beautiful, but no' as beautiful as you." He complimented the she-weasel, who blushed hard from his words.

"Charmer." Jenna giggled. "Wot! I am no'! I'm serious!" Buck argued, giving her a gentle, playful push.

The she-weasel returned it with a quiet laugh escaping her mouth. After another long silence, Jenna asked, "Um, Buck, you wanted to tell me something earlier?" Buck stared at her confused until he finally remembered what he had said before they reached Jenna's home. Sighing quietly, he held the she-weasel's paws in his before walking towards her stone bed and sitting down with her doing the same.

After a moment of silence, both weasels said each others' names and said in unison, "There's something I want to tell you." Blushing, Jenna offered Buck to go first. Buck smiled apologetically then he said seriously, "Wot I'm about ta' tell you is no' a joke." Jenna nodded then insisted, "Go on." Nodding, he grabbed Jenna's paws in his and looked at the she-weasel, nervous. That did not go unnoticed by the female.

"Are you okay?" Jenna asked worriedly. Clearing his throat, Buck replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that. This is going to be hard to say." He was beginning to make the she-weasel nervous. Shaking in anxiety, Jenna asked, "Did I do something? I didn't say anything that upset y-"

"Jenna, I love you!" Buck yelled out of the blue and very quickly.

The she-weasel could only gape and blush. _Did he just say what I thought he said? _Jenna thought happily. Blushing, she asked, "W-w-what?" Buck's stomach flip-flopped inside of him, but managed to stay calm. He repeated patiently, "I love you." Jenna placed a paw on her chest and sighed, "Oh, Buck." Beaming, she added. "I have something to tell you, too."

She whispered a message into Buck's ear. Buck's face turned from confused to happy and love-stricken. Once she leaned away from his ear, she gave him a soft smile and a quick peck on the cheek.

"Do you really feel that way, lass?" Buck asked, his heart swelling every second that went by. Jenna smiled wider and nuzzled under his chin affectionately. Finally, she replied, "Yes. I meant every word." The male smiled before nuzzling her back and then lifting her chin to send a passionate kiss to her lips five minutes later.

Before they got deeper into the kiss, the couple pulled away and smiled at each other. "I guess we better search for Ben, huh?" Jenna asked a little shakily after that magical moment. Buck sighed to himself then nodded his head. They got up from the bed and made their way out of the cave, holding each others' paws.

Meanwhile, from a very long distance from the herd, Ben was sitting in front of a shallow lake and staring at the water to see his distressed face. He didn't want to see his girls at the moment. He was too upset to see anyone right now. He still felt like this was too much.

"I'm such an idiot! I should've stopped her! Why didn't I? Because I let Roxanne's words get to me! I shouldn't have acted weak! This is all my fault!" Ben screamed before he began to sob hysterically.

"Ben, dear." A gentle, worried voice called out to him. The male turned his head and gasped at what stood before him. It was Clarissa and, with her, Roxanne. Roxanne was called, by her mother, to come with her.

They both stared at Ben sorrowfully. Ben finally lost his cool and screamed loudly at the sky then yelled, "Why did you scare me like you did last night, Roxanne? I wanted to know more about you, but you decide to attempt suicide so you wouldn't have to see me again! Now, everyone's miserable, including me! Why did you do this?"

"Ben, calm down!" Clarissa snapped.

This scene made Roxanne sob and stare at the male with guilt and sadness in her hazel eyes. She didn't mean to hurt anybody. Now, here she is, listening to how miserable her father was and every sob, scream, and yell Ben let out made her feel even more guilty inside and out.

Out of the blue, she screamed, "I did it because I've gone through so much hell. I couldn't take it anymore and decided to end my life, but it wasn't accomplished because Rosalina stopped me before I could even stab myself! Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Ben turned his head to see his daughter sobbing and hiccupping. _That's why? I…..I didn't know. _He thought sadly. He turned his head back to Clarissa and growled, "See what Tim has done to her? He's made her life a living hell."

"Ben, dear, I know, but there's so much more that's been hurting her and it led her to wanting to end her life." The ghost she-weasel sighed. Letting out a depressed sigh, Clarissa said to Ben, "I need to tell you something. It's about Roxanne and the reason why she did what she has done."

Ben gave Roxanne one last glance before following her mother through the snowy Ice Age. Now, Roxanne was all by herself, feeling a pang of anger and regret strike her. She screamed and fell onto her knees and started pounding the ground with her fists. "What have I done?" She asked herself angrily and continued to throw a tantrum. Twenty minutes have gone by and Roxanne had finally calmed down, but she was still mad at herself.

_I wish I knew how to fix this, but I don't. I'm not happy with myself right now. I've hurt everybody and it's all my fault. Why did I try to do commit suicide? I was being a self-centered brat. That's why! Oh, I hope my sister, Buck, Jenna, and the herd are okay. They're probably not. _Roxanne thought, feeling guilty and depressed inside and out.

Smiling to herself, she disappeared and waited for Clarissa to come back.


	30. Chapter 30

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 30

Rosalina was getting worried about Buck and Jenna. _What's taking them so long? Did my dad run away or something? I hope he's okay. He must be taking Roxanne's almost death really bad. Can't blame him. I feel the same way. Well, all I can do in the meantime is to wait for them to come back with my dad with them. _

"Something on your mind, sweetheart?" Ellie's voice made Rosalina snap back to reality and turn her head towards the mammoth's direction.

She heaved a sigh then replied, "I'm fine, Ellie. I'm just worried about Buck and Jenna. They've been gone for a long while. I hope they come back with my dad with them because Jenna said that she and Buck were going to find him for me. He wasn't here with us this morning. Maybe he needed to ease his stress. I guess he just didn't want to see us right now. I know how he feels." The she-mammoth stared at the young female with sympathy in her emerald eyes.

Ellie picked Rosalina up and placed her on one of her tusks before calling out to Manny and the rest of the males, "Rosalina and I are going for a walk. Does anybody want to come with us?" Sid and Roxanne ran over to the females, but as for the rest of them, they decided to stay where they were.

"Just be careful, Ellie." Manny told his mate as she walked off with Rosalina and Sid.

"Don't worry, Manny, we'll be just fine." The she-mammoth reassured.

Once they finally walked a farther distance away from Manny, Diego, and the possum twins, a conversation between Rosalina and Sid started. "So, Sid, how do you feel now? You know, now that you saw that Roxanne was okay?" The she-weasel asked him, twiddling her thumbs.

The sloth looked at her with a soft gaze. Rubbing the back of his neck, he replied, "I'm sorry that you had a rough life. Roxanne, I'm sorry you've been through so much misery."

"Thanks, Sid." Rosalina and Roxanne whimpered.

"Girls."

Rosalina turned her head to meet Ellie's eyes. The she-mammoth wrapped her trunk around the weasel's waist and hugged her. Rosalina hugged back and began to cry softly into her trunk. "It's going to be okay." Ellie whispered to her, stroking Rosalina's black hair gently after releasing her from the hug.

"I know I'm not the only one who's suffering right now. It's pretty much everybody else in this herd, even my real dad. All Roxanne had to do was to just get to know him. But no, she decided to run away and try to kill herself! That was just a selfish thing for her to do!" Rosalina hopped off of the tusk she was riding on and walked ahead of Ellie and Sid.

"Sis, I'm sorry!" Roxanne whimpered. In anger, Rosalina walked back over to her twin and smacked her.

"Rosalina!" Ellie exclaimed in pure shock. She didn't think that Rosalina would do such a thing to her own sister.

Roxanne felt her right cheek burn and tingle as she rubbed her cheek. Tears began to well up in her hazel eyes. Finally, she began to cry softly and whimper in pain. _I deserved it! Why am I crying? _Roxanne thought angrily as she wiped at her tears. She watched sadly as Rosalina walked away from them.

"Where are you going?" Sid called after the she-weasel as she started running a farther distance from them. "None of your business!" She yelled.

Now, only Ellie, Roxanne, and Sid were left. Sid asked, "What do we do now?"

"I guess we can just go back to where Manny and the others are and tell them that Rosalina ran off during our walk." Ellie shrugged. The mammoth lifted the sloth from the ground and placed him onto her back and started walking back to where the funeral was held.

Ellie looked down at Roxanne - who was riding on her left tusk- sympathetically as she stroke her cheek that still burned after Rosalina had smacked her. "Roxanne, are you all right?"

"Yes. You know, I deserved it after causing everyone sympathy and sadness." Roxanne muttered. She felt tears well up in her eyes again, but blinked them away. Ellie sighed and tried her best to comfort the depressed she-weasel.

Rosalina kept running until she saw Buck and Jenna walking together. She slowed down her pace and walked towards them. The couple smiled once they saw her and walked up to her to say hi. "Buck, Jenna, did you find my dad yet?" Rosalina asked, hoping they have. Instead, the answer she received was a no. She sighed quietly. Jenna realized that the she-weasel had been crying because of the red eyes and the wet-looking fur on her cheeks.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" She asked Rosalina. The young female sighed again then replied, "I'm still upset at my sister. What she had tried to do was so selfish! All I asked from her was to get to know our real dad! Instead, she just went off on him, ran away, and almost stabbed herself right in front of me just as soon as I found her! I still blame myself!" Rosalina screamed.

She slowly backed away from the pair then whispered, "This is all my fault."Rosalina walked back over to Buck and Jenna and wrapped her arms around both of them. They looked down at her and Jenna broke down into tears, causing Rosalina to do the same. Buck hugged them tighter and tried his best to be strong. But, the sound of Jenna and Rosalina sobbing just made him weak and made his chest feel heavy with grief.

He couldn't hold back anymore. He let a tear fall from his blue eye. "Buck, I'm going to find Ben. You two stay where you are." Rosalina gasped between sobs as she started to pull away from the grieving group hug and began her search.

Buck and Jenna were alone, yet again. The she-weasel looked up at Buck, whose eye was glazed with tears. She dried her eyes and wiped a tear away from Buck's cheek with her thumb. Buck sniffed a bit before looking down at Jenna. "Are you okay?" She asked, giving him a sorrowful look.

"Yeah." He lied. Jenna's baby blue eyes stared into his sapphire eye and saw that he really wasn't okay. Sighing through her nose, the female hugged Buck a little tighter. "Don't be afraid to admit that you're still upset, Buck. I know that you are still hurting and you're not the only one."

He gave the she-weasel a soft gaze and let out a depressed sigh. "Lass, I don't know wot I'm going ta' do. I almost lost her. I already lost my pineapple wife. I don't want ta' lose Roxanne, too." Buck sighed.

Jenna nodded then asked him if he couldn't sleep at night and that's why he stays up to keep watch. The male answered, "Well, it's sort of like that, but there's more to it."

"Tell me." Jenna requested, wanting to hear everything that was troubling him. That didn't go unnoticed by Buck. _It looks like there's no way to change the subject now. If she really wants to know, I better tell her the truth. It's nice to know that I have a companion that is worried about me and wants to help. I'm glad that that companion of mine is Jenna. _He thought to himself before clearing his throat, causing Jenna to quickly give him her undivided attention.

That sign gave him the signal to start. Finally, he sighed, "Eva' since I found out that my parents died, I felt so…alone and insecure. I thought that if I didn't watch my back, something was bound to attack me and I would end up a goner. Then, when the girls decided to be my foster daughters, my 'keeping watch' duty became way out of hand. Before that happened, still with the girls before they were my daughters, every night I would keep watch and turn my head every five seconds to make sure nothing was going to attack Rosy or Roxanne. Once it was daylight, I would feel really exhausted, but for some reason, I manage to stay in a good mood."

Buck looked at Jenna and saw sympathy in her eyes. "I know you usually want to keep watch, but you really need to rest. I heard that if you stay up and never go to sleep, you will start picturing awkward –or maybe even frightening- images that aren't really there. I am not saying that to convince you to sleep at night. That's a true fact." Jenna informed.

Buck looked at her before mumbling, "I know. Well, I didn't know about the images thing, but I know that you care about my stamina and all. Yet, I still can't help but keep watch at night. I never want anything or anyone to hurt you and Rosy." The she-weasel sighed quietly and caressed his uncovered cheek.

She sighed again before murmuring, "I know that. Tell you what, we should take turns on keeping watch when we have to camp. You watch for forty-five minutes then you wake me up and I'll keep watch for forty-five minutes."

Buck couldn't help but chuckle. _She can act so adorable when she wants to. _He thought in amusement. Jenna smiled at the sound of his laughter and waited patiently for him to stop.

Once Buck settled down, he smiled at her and hugged Jenna. She hugged back and looked at him. "Or, we could just stay up and keep watch together." The male suggested with a slight chuckle. Jenna blushed a bit. Buck released his grip on the female and sat down on a nearby stone. Jenna joined him and asked, "Tired of standing around, huh?"

"Yeah. Might as well sit down. This will be a very long wait." Buck sighed, lying down on his back and looking up at the sky. "Or lie down." The she-weasel looked up at the cloudy sky with him.

Jenna sighed through her nose and turned her head to look at Buck. "I love looking at clouds. It always relaxes me. And under all this tension we're going through, including Rosalina, we definitely need to do something to get our minds off of this situation. I guess looking at the sky is the best way to go." She said to him. Buck nodded in agreement before sitting back up and meeting the she-weasel's eyes.

He smiled at her then wrapped an arm around Jenna's shoulders. She smiled back at him and rested her head on his shoulder then looked up at the sky again. Buck smiled wider and gave her shoulders an affectionate squeeze with his arm.

"Turn around." The voice commanded softly. Startled, they turned their head then gasped at the sight before them. Standing in front of them was Roxanne, standing there with a guilty look on her face. "Roxanne?" They called. The she-weasel nodded then walked towards them slowly. Jenna got out of Buck's grip and made her way towards the young female.

Both females stared at each other for a few minutes before Jenna caressed Roxanne's cheek. "Hey!" She smiled.

"I'm so sorry, guys." Roxanne whimpered, tears glazing her eyes as well.

Buck's POV

I watched as Jen and Roxanne started hugging each other and crying. I couldn't help but join them and hold Roxanne tight. Gosh, I missed her. _I don't think that Rosy's seen her sister yet. I guess I should ask Roxanne if she had visited her sister. _I thought to myself.

Once we pulled away from the hug, Roxanne looked at me and I could have sworn that I saw her bottom lip quiver. Before I knew it, her arms were wrapped around my waist and her head was resting at the end of my chest then she began sobbing.

This broke my heart into a million pieces. I just hate it when females cry. I will never tell anybody that, but it's the truth. Hey! There's nothing wrong with having a soft heart for females. Well, anyway, I wrapped my arms around my foster daughter and hugged her tight. _This just isn't our day, is it? _I thought glumly.

I gave Jenna a sad look and sighed when she nodded understandingly. I felt Roxanne release me from our hug and avert her gaze. "Lass, you and your sister have been through a lot. I understand that you are the one that has been through a lot than Rosy. With you being harassed and your sister being abused. Um, I think I went too far." I let my ears press against my head, feeling guilty for bringing that subject up.

Instead of hearing Roxanne cry, I heard her chuckle sadly then sigh. "It's fine. You didn't upset me. Ever since my sister and I have met you, I've kind of stopped worrying about it. No need to be sorry." She said to me.

Then, Jenna finally found her voice and asked, "Well, that's good. So, how is Rosalina?" _Looks like Jen took care of that for me. _I thought with a smile.

Roxanne's eyes watered slightly before she pointed to her cheek that looked as red as a rose. Jenna and I gasped. "Wot happened?" I asked slowly. Whoever hit my daughter, they're going to be sleeping with the dinos. The dead ones, of course. My mind changed when Roxanne said, "Rosalina struck me."

I watched as Jenna went wide-eyed, shocked by the news. She turned her head to look at me with those worry-filled eyes. I understood why she was worried and shocked. I never thought that Rosalina would ever hit Roxanne when she was angry at her.

"We'll talk to Rosalina tonight and see what got her so wound up to the point that she had the urge to smack somebody." Jenna told her.

I grabbed Roxanne's paw in mine and squeezed gently. I felt her squeeze back. She looked up at me and said, "I know why she struck me. She's mad at me because I scared her and nearly crushed her soul. I'm actually glad she hit me. It knocked some sense into me. I really did deserve it. I don't know what I was thinking when I was about to stab myself. You don't have to talk to Rosalina. I will."

"Are you sure you want to talk to her?" I asked. Roxanne nodded. "Trust me. I can handle her. She doesn't scare me one bit. Well, only a little, but…you know." I chuckled at her reply and watched as Roxanne ran in the direction the playground was.

End of POV


	31. Chapter 31

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 31

"So, what do we do now?" Jenna asked Buck after Roxanne left. The red-brown weasel smiled innocently at her as he wrapped his arms around her, causing her to blush hard. "What are you doing?" Jenna asked shyly with a soft smile. "Nothin'." Buck replied, smiling wider. They started rocking side-to-side slowly.

Jenna rested her head against his shoulder then sighed through her nose quietly. All the tension and nervousness that Jenna had felt subsided as she began to relax in Buck's arms. Buck seemed to realize this because he felt the tension in Jenna's body loosen a bit.

He lifted her chin to get her to look at him. Jenna flashed him a soft smile and her eyes showed compassion and love in her baby blue eyes. Buck chuckled before giving her a kiss on the forehead, causing Jenna to smile wider.

Once the two stopped swaying, Buck asked, "Jen, may I ask you something wheneva' I have the chance? It may be too early fo' this question, but I thought that I would just ask you anyway."

Jenna looked at him confused then replied with a questioning tone, "Sure, I guess." The male gave her a gentle hug, which she returned happily.

Suddenly, snow began to fall down rapidly and the wind blew harshly on the two weasels. Jenna screamed excitedly and her eyes widened in surprise. She huddled closer to Buck and shivered violently. Buck wrapped his arms around her then whispered, "Let's get back to the herd."

"What about Rosalina?" Jenna asked, starting to worry about her instead of the cold. Buck mentally smacked himself on the back of the head. He had enjoyed Jenna's company so much that he had forgotten all about Rosalina. Luckily, Buck had an idea. "I'll escort you to the herd and then I'll find Rosy and we'll all be there." He told her before grabbing his knife from the ground then walking towards the direction the herd's cave was located, which wasn't easy for that the weather was severe and the wind was violent. But that didn't stop them.

Jenna wrapped her arms around Buck's waist so that she wouldn't get blown away by the wind and get separated from Buck. He looked down at her before wrapping his free arm around her shoulders while shivering violently. They both knew that they were going to have to battle the blizzard if they wanted to reach the herd before they become weasel-sickles.

Meanwhile, Rosalina was still searching around for her dad, but she still had no luck. With all the snow blurring her vision and the cold wind that blew harshly against her, it didn't help her at all. It only made her chances of finding her dad impossible. She was planning on giving up at this point, but she figured that if she didn't find her dad soon, he may freeze to death. With that thought in her mind, Rosalina growled in determination and frustration and kept on trekking.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew Rosalina a few yards back. She yelped in surprise then yelled at the sky, "Why did you have to start this goshforsaken blizzard? You could at least lighten up a little!" In a huff, Rosalina picked herself up off the ground and continued her search. _Nothing is going to stop me from finding my father. I'm going to fight this storm and find my dad!_ She told herself determinedly.

"Ben! Ben! Ben, where are you?" She called out through the violent blizzard. Rosalina walked several miles through the snowstorm until she found a weasel lying on the snow-covered ground with snow covering his entire body. She gasped then made her way towards him with some difficulty that the wind was causing her.

Once she finally made it, she dusted the snow off the male's white fur and examined the unconscious body. She gasped in horror when she found out who this male weasel was. It was Ben.

Holding back the tears of worry, Rosalina lifted Ben from the ground. She struggled lifting his unconscious form because he was really heavy. Groaning tiredly, she dropped him then thought of some other way to get him somewhere safe. She thought for a few minutes. She had nothing. So, she shrugged and grabbed one of Ben's arms then started dragging him through the snow. "Well, I guess this is a little better than having to carry him." Rosalina muttered to herself as she pulled Ben through the snow.

As Buck and Jenna kept walking through the blizzard, they kept their grip on each other so they wouldn't separate. It was hard for Jenna, for that she had weak strength and sometimes almost lost her grip on Buck's waist. But Buck made sure that he didn't lose his grip on her and that Jenna didn't let go of him. He looked down at her to see if she was doing okay. To his surprise, the she-weasel still held on to him tightly and she was half awake.

"We've go' ta be getting a little closa ta the herd. Don't fall asleep." Buck whispered to Jenna, who was already asleep and shivering violently. _Too late for that, huh. _He thought as he carefully did some difficult maneuvers to carry Jenna in his arms and his knife in between his teeth. His eye softened when he felt Jenna wrap her arms instinctively around his neck then curl her body towards the remaining warmth he had. _Enjoy what's left my warmth, Jen, but it will eventually be all gone unless we get somewhere warm. _His mind seemed to tell the sleeping she-weasel.

Suddenly, something lift him and Jenna from the ground. Buck struggled to get out of the grip until he heard a familiar female voice say, "Relax, Buck. It's just me." The male turned his head to see Ellie smiling at him.

Sighing in relief, Buck chuckled, "You almost made me jump out of my fur!" The she-mammoth gave him an apologetic smile before bringing him into the herd's cave, where everybody was laying around a bonfire and shivering slightly.

The first herd member to welcome the weasels was Sid. He got up from where he was sitting and walked over to Buck and Jenna as soon as Ellie put them down. His eyes were fixed on the sleeping female that was in Buck's arms.

"Did the blizzard knock her out?" Sid asked while rubbing his hands together.

"She sort of fell asleep when we were almost here. So, I had to carry her the rest of the way until Ellie found us out there and brought us here." Buck replied after taking his knife from his mouth to the ground.

Then, Buck looked down at Jenna with a soft gaze. After staring at her peaceful face for a few more minutes, he scanned the cave to find a place to put her. That was until Peaches ran up to him and gave him a gentle hug, but made sure not to wake Jenna as she did so.

"Ay, little lady." He smiled at her. Peaches smiled brightly back at him before noticing the she-weasel in his arms.

"Jenna's sleepy." She whispered to the male.

"I know it." He replied with a quiet yawn.

Peaches seemed to hear it, for that she started chuckling. She insisted sweetly, "You and Jenna can sleep next to me if you want to."

"I'll be all right, fruity. As fo' Jen, I think that she needs to sleep somewhere warm. Do you want ta keep her warm until I come back?"

Peaches giggled happily as she carefully wrapped her trunk around Jenna and placed her on her back then went back to where she was laying and placed the she-weasel by her side. Ellie raised her eyebrow before asking Buck where he was going.

"I have ta find Rosy. She's still out there, looking fo Ben."

"If you go out there again, you might freeze to death. And we don't want that."

"If I don't go out there again, Rosy might freeze ta death."

"And if you do go out there again, you wouldn't find me out in that snowstorm." Another female voice came out. Everyone turned their heads to see Rosalina with a male weasel behind her. Buck sighed in relief before running towards her and giving her a tight hug.

"I was starting ta think that you were lost in that blizzard. Are you all right? Where's Roxanne?" He asked once he pulled away from the young she-weasel.

"I'm fine, Buck. Roxanne is sleeping next to Diego." Rosalina chuckled softly as she dragged Ben towards the fire and left him near it to rest.

She walked towards Peaches and gave her a gentle hug then slept on her other side. Buck looked up at Ellie then sighed, "Never mind." Ellie chuckled at this.

The male sighed softly as he made his way towards Jenna and carefully moved her to where he was curled up behind her; her back was facing his front, and their heads using Peaches' side as a pillow. Once he got settled, he wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "Goodnight, Jenna."

Ellie smiled at everyone's sleeping forms before she herself went to sleep.


	32. Chapter 32

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 32

It was in the middle of the night when Rosalina woke up to get some fresh air. She realized that the snowstorm had calmed while she and everyone else were resting. Now, it was snowing lightly outside on the snow-covered ground. Smiling slightly, she got up from Peaches' right side, being careful not to wake her up as she did so, to the entrance of the herd's cave.

Rosalina watched the snow fall with a peaceful gaze and let a small smile form on her face until she heard someone whisper her name. She quickly turned her head to see that the herd, Buck, Ben, and Jenna were still asleep.

"That was strange." She muttered quietly to herself before someone whispered her name again. Frightened, Rosalina got into her fighting pose and yelled in a soft, angry tone, "Who's there and what do you want from me?"

"Relax, sis." A familiar, feminine voice whispered to her. Rosalina's eyes widened when she realized that that voice belonged to no other than her sister, Roxanne. The feeling of relief and guilt hit Rosalina hard. Stuttering, she called out skeptically, "R-Roxanne?"

She gasped when Roxanne whirled her around to where she was facing her and smiled sadly. Rosalina's breath hitched and her eyes filled up with tears as she looked into her sister's hazel eyes. It wasn't long before the she-weasel wrapped her arms around Roxanne and sobbed softly into her shoulder.

Roxanne hugged her back and did the same. After crying in each other's arms, they pulled away from their hug and just stared at each other with their tear-glazed eyes. Roxanne placed a paw on Rosalina's shoulder and whispered, "Listen, I need to talk to you."

She paused for a moment to make sure her sister was prepared to hear what she had to say. She was. Smiling, she continued, "Sis, ran into Buck and Jenna and told them what happened while we were walking with Ellie and Sid this afternoon."

Rosalina frowned. "Sis, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Roxanne knew her sister regretted hitting her and hugged her. "I know you're sorry, sis. I understand why you were mad at me." She said, her ears pressing against her head.

Sadly, Rosalina said, "I really didn't mean anything by that, Roxanne. I just lost my cool. I really didn't need to smack you just to get you to see how depressed and stressed out I am. You could already tell how sad everyone was."

Roxanne's hazel eyes widened in shock as Rosalina hugged her. She, then, felt her eyes fill up with tears. A pang of sadness struck her. She couldn't help but blame herself for being self-centered when she and Rosalina went to visit their real dad.

She wondered if anyone else was disappointed in her besides Ben, Clarissa, and Rosalina. Well, she was ninety-nine point nine percent that those three weren't the only ones disappointed and depressed because of her almost successful suicidal act.

Tears began to fill Roxanne's hazel eyes, but she held them in so that Rosalina wouldn't notice. Unfortunately, her twin saw the tears and her gaze began to soften.

Rosalina sighed sadly then whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

She couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Roxanne pulled her sister into a hug, once again, and began to sob softly into her shoulder like she did earlier. Rosalina returned the hug and cradled the back of her sister's head comfortingly with Roxanne doing the same.

"It's all right, sis." The gentleness and sweetness of Rosalina's comforting voice made Roxanne feel safe and she had stopped crying at some time.

Roxanne pulled away from the hug and held her sister's paws in hers. "I guess we have to go to sleep now, huh?" Rosalina asked with smile. Her sister nodded in reply.

Before Roxanne went back to her sleeping spot, she said, "Just know that I'm sorry for causing you and everyone else sadness. I love you, sis."

Tearing up, Rosalina gave Roxanne one last hug and whispered, "I love you, too, sis. I hope you sleep well tonight."

"Same with me." Roxanne yawned then closed her eyes, leaving Rosalina awake.


	33. Chapter 33

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 33

It was near the crack of dawn when Jenna's eyes fluttered open and she tried to sit up, only to be held down by Buck's arms. She turned her head to see Buck cuddled up next to her with his arms around her. She blushed hard and carefully got out of his grasp.

"Well, at least he got some sleep last night." Jenna mumbled softly to herself before getting up and walking over to where Rosalina was sleeping, which was near the cave entrance.

Once she was near her, she gently placed a paw on her shoulder, causing Rosalina's eyes to snap open and turn her head towards her direction. "Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?" Jenna asked.

Rosalina felt a smile form on her face. That didn't go unnoticed by Jenna. "Rosalina, how did you're discussion with Roxanne go?" She looked at her, concerned.

Rosalina took a deep breath as tears started to fill up her eyes. She whispered, "Jenna, I told Roxanne how sorry I was and she forgave me. I was getting some fresh air when she cam up behind me and told me that she wanted to talk to me. We hugged and talked for a while until she was tired. I really didn't mean to hurt her that bad. I was just so mad."

Jenna pressed her ears against her head and wrapped an arm around Rosalina's shoulders and held the teenager's paw with her free paw, giving her some comfort. Rosalina hugged the she-weasel tightly as she sobbed into her shoulder. "I didn't mean to." She whimpered softly.

Jenna ran her fingers through Rosalina's hair as she cradled the back of her head gently. She whispered to her, "I know, sweetheart. I know."

After sometime, Rosalina had stopped crying and had her head down with her gaze never leaving the ground. Jenna looked at her sympathetically. She didn't know what to do to make her feel better. Until, she had an idea. She lifted Rosalina's chin to get her to look at her.

"I'm kind of in the mood to baby-sit today. Do you want to come with me and help me? I just thought maybe that would take your mind off things for a while." She offered sweetly.

She started smiling when she saw Rosalina smile slightly at her and nodded. Jenna nodded approvingly before walking over to where Buck was and placing a gentle kiss on his good eye. "Jen?" He called out groggily.

"Yeah?" She responded with Rosalina at her side.

Buck opened his eye and saw the two she-weasels towering over him. He smiled softly at them while getting up to his full height. "Mornin', you two." He stretched his arms for few seconds with a quiet yawn escaping his throat.

"Good morning." They replied. As soon as he was done stretching, Jenna informed him that she and Rosalina were going to babysit some kids today.

The male smiled lopsidedly at Jenna. "Felt like caretakin' today, huh? Well, I'm going ta stay here with Ben and Roxanne. I guess while you two are gone, I'm going to try ta' get ta' know 'im a little betta'."

"That sounds great! But, if I find out you hurt him in some way, we will have a talk." Jenna warned him in a serious tone. She didn't think he would hurt him, but she still gave him the warning. Buck just laughed at her and reassured her that he wasn't going to hurt him.

He just wanted to know him and try to be friends with him. At first, Jenna kind of didn't believe him, but she reminded herself that he's always honest and trusted him.

Jenna pecked Buck's cheek before walking out of the cave with Rosalina's paw in hers. "We'll be back soon!" She yelled from a far away distance. Buck was about to wake Ben, but he realized he forgot to tell Jenna he loved her.

Quickly, he yelled after her, "I love you, Jen!"

Jenna turned her head and yelled back, "I love you too!"

"So do I!" Rosalina screamed as well.

Buck chuckled and watched as Rosalina and Jenna got farther and farther away from the cave. He sighed to himself before scanning the almost empty cave. _The herd must be at the playground with fruity. I guess I'll catch up with them later. _He thought once he was done looking around.

Unexpectedly, a smirk ghostly appeared on Buck's face. He had a devious plan. He walked out of the cave to find the herd, but mainly Crash and Eddie.

Rosalina and Jenna walked through the snow as they walked through the village. It was hard for them because of how deep the snow was. "That blizzard last night really increased the depth of the snow, didn't it?" Rosalina asked, wanting to start a conversation.

Jenna yelped when she tripped over a hidden rock underneath the snow and replied, "Tell me about it."

The she-weasel picked herself off the ground with Rosalina's help then continued walking. Rosalina looked over at Jenna with nervousness written all over her face. Jenna smiled at her. "This is your first time helping me baby-sit, isn't it?" She asked. She received a nod.

She smiled reassuringly at her before telling her, "You'll do fine, Rosalina. Babysitting is actually pretty fun! Tiring, yes, but fun. I've had good and bad times during my caretaking experience. Either way, it was still fun."

Rosalina was a bit skeptical at first, but then she smiled and thanked Jenna for the reassurance. "Anytime, sweetheart." They continued to walk through the village until they heard an infant wail from a distance.

As soon as Buck reached the playground, Crash and Eddie charged towards him and gave him tight hug. "What's up, Buck?" Eddie greeted once he pulled away.

Buck just smirked at them both and replied, "I have a little plan, and I need your help."

Crash and Eddie looked at each other then looked back at their weasel friend. Crash smiled deviously and asked, "What's your plan?" Buck smiled victoriously then got them into a huddle as he began to explain his plan.

Manny and Ellie looked over at their direction to see them in their little huddle. Ellie turned her head back to her mate. "Something tells me that Buck is up to something." She told him quietly so that Buck wouldn't hear her.

"Well, if it's a plan involving Sid, I'll happily accept it." Ellie smack his shoulder with her trunk and rolled her emerald eyes at him.

They jumped when they heard Crash and Eddie laughing. Probably because of Buck's plan, Ellie thought.

"Buck, that's a pretty good prank! We just need to find the stuff to make it possible." Crash listed the things they would need and told him how to set it up. Buck nodded and got to work.

Eddie looked over at his brother and asked, "Are you sure we should do this?"

"Of course I do! Pranking is our specialty, remember?" Crash reminded him before taking off to catch up with Buck with Eddie soon doing the same after hesitating for a moment.

Meanwhile, Rosalina and Jenna were scanning around the village to see where the wailing was coming from until Rosalina found the infant's scent and followed it. Jenna quickly followed after her.

"Do you smell something?" Jenna asked her as Rosalina continued to sniff the air. She only stopped for a minute to reply, "Yes. It smells like cinnamon. Come on, smell it."

Jenna chuckled softly as she began to sniff the air. She was right. It smelled pretty good! "Let's find where that cinnamon scent is coming from." Jenna smiled.

"That's the spirit!" Rosalina praised her as they both began to sniff the air again.

Everything was set. Buck, Crash, and Eddie were getting ready to prank Ben. "Let's get it started." Crash murmured to them before nodding at Buck. He nodded back and walked into the cave to wake up Ben.

"Ay, lad." He shook his shoulder gently. The male slowly opened his eyes to see Buck staring at him.

"Morning, Buck." He scanned the room and almost panicked when he didn't see Rosalina in here.

Almost in a panicky tone, Ben asked, "Where's Rosalina?"

"She went with Jenna ta help 'er baby-sit." Buck answered him. He helped Ben stand up, just to be nice. Buck looked over at the cave entrance, where Crash and Eddie were hiding behind without the victim of his prank knowing.

"Let's get you somethin' ta eat, lad. You look like you haven't eaten for days." He guided his victim out of the cave.

"Now!" Crash yelled/whispered to Eddie. The brown-eyed possum pulled the vine. Ben gasped when a vine wrapped around his foot then the vine lifted, causing him to scream as he hung upside-down. Then, a bowl of mashed berries fell onto his belly, chest, and face. Crash and Eddie began to laugh hysterically, along with Buck.

Roxanne jolted up, wide awake and turned her head swiftly to the cave entrance/exit. When she saw her dad dangling upside-down, she burst out laughing.

Ben was furious! What did he do to deserve this? He yelled angrily, "Why did you do this?" Buck was laughing too hard to explain, and Eddie ended up telling him.

"Buck decided to give you a surprising wake up call." He gasped between laughs. Ben glared angrily at Buck, who was still laughing and had tears in his eye.

"I will get you back, you freak of nature! I will get my revenge!" He snapped at him.

Buck finally stopped laughing and got up from the ground. "Ay, lad. I was only havin' some fun with you. Don't get your tail in a bunch." He said coolly as he went back to get his knife to cut him down. Ben landed face-first onto the ground after Buck released him from the vine trap, causing Crash to laugh obnoxiously.

"I'm going to go and get washed off. I swear, if you put piranhas in there, I will kill all three of you!" Ben walked away from them, muttering profanities and curses to himself. Behind the male's back, Buck and the possum twins were high-fiving each other and laughed silently.

At last, Rosalina and Jenna found where the scent was coming from. It was coming from behind a bush. Rosalina turned to her and whispered, "I'm going to see what's behind here. You stay right there." Jenna nodded and watched as Rosalina got on all fours and crawled into the shrub.

When Rosalina reached the other side of the bush, her eyes widened at the sight before her. Lying in front of her was a small, baby she-weasel, who was wailing loudly and shaking from coldness of the temperature.

Her cerulean eyes softened and filled up with tears as she watched the infant cry. She went over to her and examined her to see if she was hurt. Fortunately, she wasn't. Then, she decided to look at her appearance.

The baby weasel had beautiful green eyes, healthy brown fur, short dark brown hair, cream fur that started at her chest and ended at her pelt, and she had a white-colored birthmark shaped like star on her right shoulder. _She's beautiful! _Rosalina thought admiringly as she stared at the infant.

"Rosalina, sweetie, is everything okay back there?" Jenna called from behind the shrub. The baby finally stopped crying at the sound of her voice and began to coo softly. This melted Rosalina's heart. Softly, she called Jenna to come over. As soon as Jenna walked over to the other side of the bush, the baby began to stare at her in wonder.

Jenna gasped at the sight. "Oh, she's so cute!" She beamed at the little weasel kit sweetly.

"Isn't she?" Rosalina replied with an admiring smile. She watched as Jenna sat down next to the baby and began to gently tickle her. She and Rosalina sighed as the girl began to laugh and squirm as Jenna kept on tickling her.

"Where're your parents, cutie?" Rosalina asked the little infant. All the baby could do, after Jenna was done tickling her, was just coo and smile sweetly at her. Jenna picked up the baby girl and cradled her in her arms. Rosalina's eyes almost filled up with tears again as she watched the kit yawn and nuzzle her head against Jenna's chest.

"Jenna," Rosalina started nervously. The she-weasel looked at her and gave her undivided attention to her. Rosalina sighed before asking, "Do you think that Buck will approve of us adopting this precious little soul?"

Jenna looked down at the baby, causing the kit to meet her gaze and chuckle. Then, she looked at Rosalina and sighed, "I hope so. Who couldn't resist adopting this little sweetheart?" The kit giggled in delight and nuzzled Jenna lovingly.

Rosalina beamed at this sight. After some time, Jenna shrugged, "Well, I guess we should head back. We'll baby-sit some other time."

"Sounds good to me." Rosalina agreed with a smile. With that, Rosalina and Jenna walked back to the other side of the bush, only to run into trouble.


	34. Chapter 34

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 34

Jenna and Rosalina nervously looked at the pack of sabers that had caught them when they walked back to the other side of it. "H-h-hello." They stuttered.

One of the sabers rolled its eyes and demanded, "Give us the baby." Jenna looked down at the kit and saw fear in the little girl's face.

Rosalina got in her fighting stance and threatened, "If you lay a claw on Jenna and the baby, I will personally take your eyes into my paws, shove them down your throats, and let them watch, from your insides, as I tear your carcasses apart!"

She smirked when two of the sabers looked at her in fear and ran away. The pack leader and the remaining sabers looked after them and yelled, "Wimps!" He turned his head to see that the she-weasels were running a few yards away from them.

"Get them!" The leader shouted at his pack members. They did as they were told and ran after them.

Jenna turned her head and screamed when she saw the sabers chasing them. Quickly, she gave Rosalina the baby and told her that they should run opposite directions. Jenna ran left, and Rosalina ran right.

The pack leader swore under his breath before turning to his hunting pack and instructing three sabers to run the direction Jenna ran and the other three sabers to run the direction Rosalina ran. "Don't disappoint me." Their pack leader called after them as they took off after the she-weasels again.

Rosalina held on to the baby weasel kit protectively as she continued to run. She turned her head to see three sabers chasing her. She screamed and quickly scanned the area around her to find a place to hide. Fortunately, she found a hole in the ground that looked like it would protect her and the baby. But, if the sabers tried to claw at them, there would be a slim chance that it would be a safe place to hide.

She turned her head to see that the sabers were hot on her tail. Quickly, she climbed a tall tree, holding on to the baby as she climbed. She got to the tree just in time to see the sabers surround the tree. Rosalina was panting heavily with adrenaline and shaking in fright. The baby wrapped her arms around her neck and nuzzled the side of her head against her chest. Rosalina looked down at her to see that, she too, was shaking in fear.

"We should be okay for now." She reassured the girl between pants. The kit smiled at her and began to giggle softly, causing Rosalina to smile back.

Both of their eyes widened when they heard one of the three pursuing sabers yell, "Get down from there, you little rats!"

Rosalina looked down at them and said, "I thought cats could climb. Oh, and who are you calling rats? You're rats for killing innocent mammals." She laughed when the weasel kit blew a raspberry at them with a smirk. The teenage she-weasel gave her a gentle hug and did the same thing she just did.

They watched for thirty minutes as the sabers tried to climb the tall tree and reach them on the sixth branch. They finally decided to give up and go back to their pack leader. Rosalina did a small victory dance. She had to keep it small because of the kit in her arms and she didn't want to make her nauseous.

The little kit looked up at Rosalina and let out a little chuckle. Rosalina smiled when she did this and said, "Let's stay up here just in case those sabers come back." In the meantime, they waited for something or someone to show up and either attack them or save them.

Meanwhile, Jenna was still running a good distance away from her pursuers, but was losing her stamina very quickly. No matter what, she was not going to slow down her pace and she was not going to turn her head. She began to desperately call out for Buck in short heavy pants. Suddenly, a heavyweight paw stomped on her tail. She yelped in surprise and panted, "Excuse me. You've stepped on my tail."

Suddenly, a low growl came from behind her and caused the fur on her neck to rise in fright. Jenna slowly turned her head to come face-to-face with a saber-tooth tiger. Her breathing went abnormal and her body began to shake as the saber stared at her with hungry eyes.

He smirked at her evilly, along with the other sabers. Jenna recognized the faces of those sabers. They were the ones that killed her mother a long time ago. She let an angry glare show on her face and growled, "You! You were the ones that killed my mother! Now, you're going to pay the price."

Jenna did something that she has never done before. She scratched one of the sabers across the eye with her claws, hopped onto his back, and bit into his shoulder. He roared in pain and tried to buck her off. She pressed her claws into his flesh and continued to bite him, dodging the blows the other sabers were trying to deliver her as she did so.

When Jenna went for the throat, the saber roared in pain again as her teeth sank deep into his throat. She then let go and attacked another saber, but was smacked in the side in mid-air. She moaned in pain, but she didn't give up. Jenna growled and went for her second opponent.

Buck ran through the village to find Rosalina and Jenna. He heard Jenna call out for him during his trying to get to know Ben after he apologized for pranking him. "Jenna, Rosy, where are you?" He called out until he heard screams and roars coming from a distance.

He gasped softly to himself. "That's Jen! Jenna, I'm coming!" He yelled as his pace began to get faster.

He followed her scent as he ran. He clutched his knife tightly as his fear of Jenna being in danger increased. Once he had reached Jenna's location, he saw Jenna fighting off the sabers. One of them was dead, leaving two still standing. He was shocked at what he saw. This was one of the sides of Jenna he had never seen before. It was…..shocking!

He looked at the pool of blood that was underneath the dead one and the bleeding scratches and cuts on the still-standing sabers. He got out of his trance and dashed towards the scene. "Ay, tiga's! Ova' here!" Buck called out to them, causing their and Jenna's head to turn in his direction.

"Buck!" A very happy, but tired Jenna screamed. The two sabers looked at each other.

"You attack the female. I'll take care of that male one over there." One whispered to the other. He nodded and started to growl at Jenna. She gasped when she saw a saber heading straight towards Buck. She was about to scream his name in worry but was smacked by a paw before she could.

Jenna screamed in pain and saw blood trickling down her arm. She quickly got up from the ground and charged towards her attacker. She jumped onto his back and went for the side of his throat. Unfortunately, she got knocked off and fell onto the ground.

She grunted then ran towards a sharp rock. She picked it up then ran back to her opponent with the rock raised high in the air. Another unfortunate thing happened. The saber smacked it out of her paws then scratched her shoulder. She let out another scream and felt more blood flow out.

Buck dodged every swipe his opponent and was slashing at him with his knife and sometimes his claws. The saber was almost close to being dead. He had long, bloody gashes running along his body and had a couple scratches on his legs. Buck smirked as he watched the saber get weaker and weaker while he tried to fight him.

He was no match for Buckminster! With one last slash across the side, the saber fell to the ground, dead. He turned his head and gasped when he saw that Jenna was bleeding.

He ran over to her and stood in front of her, his eye filled with anger and hate. Before he could slash at him, a female saber-tooth tiger roared angrily and yelled, "Stop! Leave them alone, please!"

The she-saber had green eyes, gold-orange fur, a white belly and paws, and sharp, pearly white teeth. Both Buck and Jenna stared at the female in shock. They watched her run towards the attacking saber-tooth and chased him away.

Buck turned to Jenna and gasped when she fell to the ground. He swooped down and caught her before she could touch the snow-covered ground. He sat her down on a nearby stone and started panicking, "Jenna! I'm so sorry! I'm no' going ta let you die! I promise!"

Jenna coughed softly, causing Buck to get even more worried for her. He quickly went to find a bowl-shaped boulder and a bundle of leaves. Once he was back, he immediately washed Jenna's bloody arm and shoulder off.

Jenna was wincing in pain because of how fast Buck was working, but she knew that he trying to keep her from dying. Then, Buck wrapped the leaves around her arm and shoulder then tied the ends together, but made sure it wasn't too tight that it hurt Jenna.

Buck gently hugged Jenna close to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and started sobbing. "I was so scared!" She whimpered. Buck pulled her more closely to him to where she could feel and hear his heartbeat.

"Jen, I'm so sorry I wasn't there! I should have come along so this wouldn't have happened. I would have been there to fight them off! I'm so sorry! Oh, I love you!"

He was now in tears and was crying softly against her uncovered shoulder. Jenna pulled herself much more closely to him and cried into his chest. Ten minutes later, they pulled away slightly from their hug to look into each other's tear-glazed eyes.

Buck moved a strand of Jenna's hair away from her face and whispered, "I love you." Jenna caressed his uncovered cheek and whispered back, "I love you, too."

Buck caressed Jenna's cheek in return and pulled her into a passionate, love-filled kiss. Jenna kissed him lovingly back. More tears fell from their eyes and down their cheeks as they held the kiss. "I broke my promise." He whispered into the kiss.

Jenna pulled away and raised an eyebrow at him. "What promise?" She asked. Buck reached for her paw and held it.

He sighed sadly, "Afta' Tim hit you, I promised you that I wouldn't let anyone hurt you again, but I did. I'm so sorry, Jenna."

The she-weasel used her thumb to wipe away a tear that rolled down his cheek and whispered, "Buck, you didn't know that this was going to happen. This isn't your fault. Come here." Jenna pulled him into a hug, which he immediately returned. She looked up at Buck and kissed his cheek. He smiled a small smile before leaning in and kissing her again.

From a distance, Rosalina was climbing down the tree with the baby weasel holding on to her by keeping her arms wrapped around Rosalina's neck and her legs wrapped around her ribs. Once she reached the bottom, she carefully got off Rosalina's back and stood in her full height.

Rosalina looked down at her and said, "I don't think they'll be coming back. Let's go find Jenna." The baby nodded and walked paw-in-paw with her. They searched the village for her until the little weasel sniffed the air and managed to catch Jenna's scent.

"Oh, oh!" She jumped up and down with her pointer finger pointed left. Rosalina sniffed the air and caught Jenna's scent as well.

She looked at the girl happily and complimented, "You're such a smart girl! Way to go, little one! Let's go!"

As they walked, the little kit was looking at her surroundings and giggling in delight. Rosalina chuckled sweetly at this. She really thought it was cute. She remembered how she used to do that whenever she saw something interesting or found something. _Nothing better than going down memory lane, huh? _She thought happily as she lifted the girl into her arms.

She squealed and laughed in enjoyment when she did this. "Buck's going to love you! I just know it!" Rosalina beamed at the happy kit. She replied with a cute giggle and a nuzzle against her shoulder.

Few miles later, they found Buck and Jenna locked in a kiss. "Whoa, baby!" Rosalina exclaimed, causing the couple to quickly pull away from their kiss and see Rosalina with the little weasel girl in her arms.

Buck raised his eyebrow at the sight and asked, "Rosy, who's that?" Jenna's baby blue eyes widened. She grabbed Buck's paw in hers, got off the stone she was sitting on, and walked him over to where Rosalina stood.

Buck took in the girl's appearance before walking closer to Rosalina and sniffed the kit. The baby started laughing and squirming as he sniffed her. "Smells like cinnamon and looks really healthy." Buck noted out loud. He backed away from the kit and stood next to Jenna.

"Where did you find 'er?" He asked them.

"We found her behind a bush." Jenna and Rosalina answered at the same time.

"That's why those saber-tooth tigers were attacking us." Rosalina explained.

"Rosalina found her crying and shaking until she called for me to come see her. I tickled the little sweetheart and she started laughing. It was just so cute!" Jenna said with a smile on her face.

Buck chuckled at Jenna with a nod then asked, "Does she have a name?" Both she-weasels shook their heads.

"We don't know what to call her, but I guess we can try to find a good name for her by listing things Rosalina and I learned about her." Jenna suggested with a shrug.

"That's a pretty good idea!" Rosalina agreed then began to list things about the baby girl.

"Well, she's _really_ sweet, smart, cheery, obviously cute, outgoing, and likes nature. Oh, and what about her appearance? I'm talking about those beautiful forest green eyes, the short, brunette hair, her silky-smooth fur, and that white star on her shoulder."

Buck and Jenna thought for a moment until Jenna suggested, "Um, I'm thinking Naomi, Celine, or Juliet. What do you two think?"

Rosalina looked down at the kit after Jenna said 'Celine'. She seemed to like that name because she started laughing happily. She looked up to face Jenna and smiled, "I think the little one likes Celine the best."

Jenna beamed when she heard the girl laugh and nuzzle her head on Rosalina's shoulder. "I can't come up with any otha' name that's betta' than Celine." Buck said truthfully with a smile.

"All right! It's official! The little one's name is going to be Celine." Jenna dismissed and made her way to Rosalina. The teenager gave her the kit and smiled as Celine giggled softly.

Buck couldn't help but smile sweetly at Celine, who was getting comfortable in Jenna's arms. He hoped that her bandage wouldn't come off while she was holding her. It shouldn't, but he should look at it every few minutes just to be sure.

"Wait! Should we find her parents first?" Rosalina asked. Disappointment struck Jenna's face. She didn't think about that. She was just too busy fussing over the baby. Jenna bit her lip then nodded.

"Don't bother looking for them." A female voice said somberly. The four weasels turned their heads to see the female saber-tooth tiger that had saved Buck and Jenna from getting attacked.

The she-saber sighed sadly before informing them, "The sabers killed her parents. They hid her behind a bush to keep her safe before trying to fight them, only to be torn to shreds. I saw the whole scene while my pack and father went out hunting."

Shock and sympathy struck Buck, Jenna, and Rosalina once they heard the saddening news. Jenna looked down at Celine and whispered, "Poor baby!"

Celine looked at their sad faces, confused and oblivious to what was going on. She faced the female saber and quietly made baby sounds.

"Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Destiny." The she-saber introduced herself. Jenna smiled at her and introduced her and the others.

"I'm Jenna, but you can call me Jen," she nodded at Rosalina and Buck and continued, "That's Rosalina, but she sometimes prefers to be called Rosy for short. Next to her is Buck, short for Buckminster."

Destiny chuckled a bit at Buck's full name, but not in an obnoxious way, of course. She stopped chuckling to hear Rosalina say, "And this cute, little baby in Jenna's arms is Celine." The infant weasel kit waved hello at the saber with a little giggle.

"Hi!" Destiny waved at the little girl sweetly.

Suddenly, Destiny's father called for her. Sadly, she said, "My dad's calling. It was really nice meeting you four. I hope we meet again soon." Jenna, Rosalina, and Celine waved as Destiny walked away.

"It was nice meeting you, too!" Jenna called after her.

Buck placed a paw on Jenna's shoulder from behind, causing her to turn her head and meet his gaze. "We should be heading home. But, first, let's get back ta the heard and say our goodbyes." Buck smiled when Celine reached her paw out to him, wanting him to hold her.

Jenna noticed this and smiled, "I think she wants you to hold her now." Buck grew a little nervous. He's never dealt with an infant before.

"I'll hold your knife." Rosalina offered. Buck's grip was loose, which made it easy for her to take it from his paw. Jenna noticed Buck's nervousness.

She reassured him, "You'll do fine. Just hold her like I am, but be gentle."

The one-eyed weasel was still unsure. He was scared he was going to hurt Celine. Jenna read the look on his face and caressed his cheek. "You'll do fine." She reassured him again. Once Buck was ready, the she-weasel gave him the baby weasel.

Celine looked up at him with her forest green orbs, softly giggling as she did so. She matched the smile Buck had on his face and nuzzled her head against his chest. Buck's smile got bigger when she did this. Then, he held her with one arm as he lifted his paw for her to hold.

Celine reached for his paw, grabbed one of his fingers, and began to nuzzle it lovingly. "You're a very affectionate little thing, aren't you?" Buck chuckled, causing the weasel kit to chuckle with him.

"Aw!" Jenna and Rosalina sighed as Celine kept nuzzling him.

"She likes you." Rosalina sighed in a near high-pitched voice. Buck chuckled again as he gave the kit back to Jenna. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He looked at the females then smiled, "Let's get back ta the herd."

The three she-weasels returned the smile before walking with the male. Celine let out a yawn. She nuzzled against Jenna's chest then closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	35. Chapter 35

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 35

The weasels were almost to the herd's cave when Buck turned his head to stare at the sleeping kit in Jenna's arms. "After that saber attack, she must have gotten pretty tired." Jenna whispered to him. _She must have noticed that I was staring at her. _Buck thought, but then ignored his thought.

"Buck," Jenna looked from the sleeping Celine to Buck. He met her gaze, giving her his attention and waiting for what she was going to ask or say. The she-weasel sighed then continued, "Do you want to take Celine in? I mean, I know you already have two foster daughters, but maybe, if you agree to take Celine in, we can tell her about our adventures. If you say no, I understand."

Buck's eye widened. That question wasn't expected from Jenna. "I'll give you time to think." She muttered. He stood in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. Buck placed his paws on her shoulders, but made his grip gentle; Jenna's left arm was injured.

"I'm scared." He admitted, looking down at the ground, embarrassed.

Jenna moved Celine to her uncovered arm and lifted Buck's chin with her left paw to get him to look at her. "What are you scared of?" She asked finally, her eyes showing her concern for him. After hesitating a bit, Buck answered, "I'm scared that I'll lose another daughter."

Rosalina's ears flattened against her head, her cerulean eyes filling up with tears. "You almost lost Roxanne because of me." She whispered. Buck and Jenna turned their heads to see a guilty Rosalina behind them.

They both sighed sadly before Buck reminded her, "Rosy, fo' the last time, Roxanne's death was no' your fault, lass." Rosalina turned her head away from their direction, dropped Buck's knife on the snow-covered ground, and walked away from them.

"Where are you going?" Jenna called after her. Rosalina answered without turning her head,

"You two do not need me. I'm the reason why we're always in danger, I'm the reason why Roxanne is probably going suicidal and why my mom is dead, I'm especially the reason why Jenna got hurt! You deserve a better daughter than me. I'm nothing more than an accident."

Buck couldn't take it anymore. He ran towards her and forcefully turned her to where she was facing him. Rosalina looked at him with shock and sadness as he hugged her. She tried to jerk away from his grip, but he held on to her. He looked down at her and planted a fatherly kiss on the top of her head.

Teary-eyed, he whispered to her, "Rosy, I do need you. You are the best thing that's eva' happened ta me. First of all, you didn't cause danga' ta approach. It just comes. Second, you didn't cause your motha ta' die. Your motha' was in Tim's grasp. Your were a little kit back then. There was nothin' you could do ta stop 'im. Lastly, you didn't cause Jen ta' get hurt. The sabers were trying ta' attack her, Rosy. But, she fought them back and she won. She may have gotten hurt, but she's all right now."

"And you are no accident. Tim didn't know what he was talking about when he said that to you. He was clearly blind and didn't know how sweet, caring, loving, talented, and strong you are. No matter what anybody says, you'll always be Buck's girl. The other thing is, we beg you not to kill yourself because of Roxanne's death. Like Buck said before, that wasn't your fault. It just happened." Jenna added, wrapping her free arm around Buck's shoulders.

Rosalina randomly began half laughing and half crying softly. Buck smiled at the sound of her laughing, along with Jenna. Rosalina looked up at them and giggled, "All right. You two win. I'm sorry I have not been myself since my twin's death. It's just that…we were such close sisters. We always looked out for each other, took care of each other, and did everything together. Not only was Roxanne my sister, she was my friend, my protector, and my comforter. It killed me when I saw her kill herself right in front of me. Now, I feel like the world around me turned grey. Last night, I heard Peaches crying for my sister in her sleep. It tore me up! I didn't want to tell you this, but I decided to go anorexic. *sighs* Also, I start to feel tired most of the time, I'm not wanting to eat, I can't think straight, and…."

The three of them stopped in their tracks and looked down at Celine as she started to make quiet cooing sounds. Her green eyes fluttered open and she let out a small yawn. "Did you have a nice nap?" Rosalina asked the kit sweetly before taking her out of Jenna's arms and giving Buck's knife to her.

"We'll talk about it more when we get home." She whispered to them. Honestly, she didn't want to keep telling them about her problems, but she knew that they were worried about her and that they wanted to find out how to help her and make her feel better. Sighing through her nose, she continued to walk, but in a medium pace.

Jenna looked at Buck, seeing worry in his eye. She sighed, "What are we going to do with Rosalina? Bless her heart; she's been going through so much. I wish I knew what we could do to cheer her up and make her that happy, sweet, and energetic girl she was when I first met her."

"I know. It kills me ta see 'er so unhappy."

"We should think up a plan that might bring Rosalina to smiling again." Jenna paused for a minute to think. Buck stared at her, waiting for her suggestion. After a few minutes of thinking, Jenna gave up and muttered, "I got nothing. What about you?"

Buck thought for a moment. "Well, she's been dying ta learn how ta swing on a vine. And until I find a weapon fo' her ta use, I could teach her how ta fight with it." He heard Jenna sigh quietly.

"This is silly." She said. "What I think we should do in the meantime is that we give her our love and support. When she starts feeling a lot better, you can do what you suggested. I'll take Celine to meet Momma and her kids while you two have your father-daughter moment then we'll meet up again and do whatever else is planned."

She looked over at Buck, smiling as he nodded in agreement. "You're right." He returned the smile. They almost forgot that Rosalina was walking ahead of them and quickly rushed after her to catch up.

"You will love Roxanne, Celine. She's a big softy when it comes to little girls. Trust me, I think that my twin sister will love you." Rosalina looked from the kit to the sky. She smiled, "But, I know that she can see you and how happy I am to have you with us –me, Buck, Jenna, and soon, the herd and my real dad once you meet them."

Her smile grew when she heard Celine laugh happily and began to nuzzle her. "I'm glad you're in a good mood. I've been so depressed ever since my sister died. I don't expect you to understand because you're a baby. Don't take that seriously though. You'll understand better when you get a little older. Anyway, with you being in the best of moods, you are kind of lightening my afternoon and making me feel a little happy."

Rosalina was shocked that Celine was actually listening to her. She realized this by looking at the way she looked at her while she was talking about how she was feeling. "Rosy." She said with a comforting smile. Rosalina looked at her, shocked.

She grinned then whispered, "Your first word." She was so….touched. Her name was Celine's first word. She felt….a little happier than she was the past few days this week when she heard Celine say her childhood nickname. _Now, she just needs to learn my full name, but this will do for now._ Rosalina thought happily.

Then, Celine started to laugh when Buck and Jenna appeared on either side of Rosalina. Rosalina turned her head left and right to see them. "Buck, Jenna, she learned her first word!" Jenna looked at the green-eyed kit, amazed by the news, as was Buck.

"Wot was her first word, lass?" Buck asked. Really, he was shocked that he was interested in finding out what Celine had said.

"Rosy." Celine said again, but with a little giggle. Jenna gasped softly before covering her mouth with her paws.

"Aw, Celine! You're such a smart girl!" She praised the kit in a baby tone. Buck just smiled sweetly at the little girl. Celine noticed and returned the smile.

When they reached the herd's cave, they were welcomed with soft gasps and smiles. Rosalina caught their gazes. That's when she, Buck, and Jenna realized that they noticed Celine. "Everyone, this is Celine. Jenna and I found her this morning behind a bush when we were trying to find somebody's kids to baby-sit. But, we ran into trouble once we got out from behind it. We were attacked by sabers. Celine and I didn't get hurt, but…."

She showed Jenna's leaf bandaged arm. Everybody, except Manny, gasped. "Does it hurt?" Ellie asked Jenna.

"It did, but Buck found me in time and helped me fight those sabers off. I almost lost all the blood in my arm; Buck worked quickly to stop the bleeding. So, now I'm all right, and so are Rosalina and Celine. Nothing to worry about." She reassured them with a broad smile.

Sid walked over to the injured she-weasel. He said truthfully, "I'm glad you're all right." The sloth got down to her level and let her hug him. Buck smiled at the two before walking over to Manny, Ellie, and Diego.

Rosalina walked over to Peaches and smiled sweetly. "Peaches, I would like you to meet Celine. Celine, I would like you to meet Peaches, Manny and Ellie's daughter." She set the kit down to let her get a closer look at her new acquaintance. She watched nervously as they stared at each other. To her relief, they started laughing and playing together.

Peaches lifted Celine onto her back and ran with the little she-weasel holding on to her. Rosalina laughed softly at the scene then looked over at Diego and Buck, who were talking about whatever.

Jenna sighed as she watched everyone talking to somebody except her until Ben told her to meet him outside the cave.

Jenna's POV

I watched as everybody was talking to one another, leaving me the only one with nobody to talk to. That is until Ben called for me from outside the cave. First, I made sure nobody was paying attention. To my relief, they were still talking. I quietly walked out of the cave with Ben watching my every move as if I were the prey of a hawk. Once I was outside, he pressed his lips to mine.

Scared, I harshly pushed him away and snapped, "What the huckleberries are you thinking?" Ben gave me a sick smirk then sighed.

"Buck pranked me this morning while you and Rosalina were out. I swore that I was going to get revenge. He did apologize, but sorry wasn't good enough for me."

I placed a paw on my hip and asked, "So, you decided to put me in the middle of this?"

He didn't answer, but pulled me into another kiss. I screamed into his mouth and tried to push him away from me again. Unfortunately, his grip on me was tight. _Buck, help me! _I thought as I tried to fight my way out of his grasp.

As soon as I finally did, I slapped him hard across the face. Part of me wanted to regret what I had done, but the other part of me said that he deserved it now haul your butt back in that cave.

When he wasn't looking, I quickly ran back inside the cave, wanting to get away from Ben ASAP. Whatever that means. Before I made it inside, Ben grabbed my uncovered arm and pulled me back. "No! Mmph!" Once again, Ben's lips were on mine.

I began to squirm in his arms, dying to get away. Little did I know that Buck heard my cry and ran out to see what was going on.

My baby blue eyes filled up with tears when I saw Buck's shocked and angry face. I gave him the look that said, 'please help me'. He nodded before marching over to Ben and giving him a hard punch in the face. My eyes widened in shock.

I could have sworn that I heard loud crack after the impact. When Ben let me go, I screamed as I fell to the ground. Luckily, Buck caught me and held me protectively and tightly.

We watched Ben place a paw on his face where Buck had punched him. I could see anger in his hazel eyes and blood dripping from his nose when he raised his head.

"Wot were you trying ta do ta Jen?" Buck asked Ben angrily with a growl. I turned my head to see the herd watching the dispute from the cave. _Gosh, Buck, why did you have to prank Ben? _I thought irritably with my cheeks burning from the heat of embarrassment.

"Dad," I heard Rosalina and Roxanne say with worry in their voices. "What is going on?" They asked him slowly. Ben just stared at her, not saying a word. Then, he stared at the rest of us, shook his head, and left.

End of POV

Buck looked down at Jenna and said, "If he eva' comes near you again, I will kill 'im." Jenna held one of his paws and squeezed it gently.

"Hey, it's all right. He was trying to get back at you after you pranked him. I don't know why he chose to put me in the middle of it, but he did. Anyway, what did you do that made Ben so mad?"

She stared at him for a while before Buck pointed at Crash and Eddie and accused, "It was their idea!" Jenna chuckled at his immature answer, but then got serious.

"Okay. What did you three do that made Ben so mad?"

That's when Crash burst into laughter. "You should have been there, Jenna. His face was priceless! Okay, so, Buck came over to the playground to see us and he told us his plan. What happened was Buck woke up Ben and when Ben reached the exit of the cave, Eddie and I pulled the vine that wrapped around his foot. Then, to make it even more hilarious, we set up a bowl of mashed berries that was set to tip over as soon as we the vine snare trapped him with the vine. Oh, it was pure gold!"

Jenna's eyes widened. She really wanted to laugh, even though she knew it was a horrible prank. Crash and Eddie followed the rest of the herd members back into the cave, leaving Buck, Jenna, and Rosalina outside.

When they were distracted again, Jenna and Rosalina gave Buck 'the look'. Confused, he shrugged. "Wot?"

"You. Pranked. My. Biological. Dad. Is that funny to you?" Rosalina growled through her gritted teeth. Buck sighed. He should have known that Rosalina was going to react like this. _I hope she doesn't round-house kick me. _He thought.

"I thought it was hilarious!" Roxanne chuckled, but stopped when Rosalina gave her a death glare.

"I can't believe this! The least you could do was to get to know him!" Jenna turned her head to

Rosalina and said, "Rosalina, sweetie, get Celine and tell the herd bye. I need to talk to Buck privately." The teenager nodded and did as she was told.

Once she was gone, the baby blue-eyed she-weasel turned back to Buck and asked, "What is wrong with you? All I wanted you to do was to befriend Ben, but no! You just prank him and showed disrespect." She crossed her arms and gave him an angry glare.

"Lass, I was just having some fun with him."

"Oh! So, you're saying that pranking somebody innocent is hilarious?"

"I apologized!"

"Sometimes, sorry isn't good enough!" Jenna then turned her back on him, but still stood where she was. Buck wrapped his arms around her, entwining his tail with hers. He placed his chin on her shoulder. "Hey, I won't do it again."

"Promise?" Jenna asked skeptically, not believing him until she looked down at him to see that he meant it.

"I promise." Buck replied truthfully.

The face he made right then and there made all the tension from Jenna's shoulders go away. She couldn't stay mad at him forever. _Aw, what the heck. _She thought in defeat as she turned to face him. Jenna pulled him into a brief kiss then pulled away to caress his uncovered cheek.

"I love you. Sorry I snapped at you." She whispered, stroking his cheek with her thumb. Buck hugged her close and whispered back, "I love you, too. I'm sorry I made you mad."

"Apology accepted." She giggled softly. There was a silence between the two until Jenna sighed.

"Well, I guess we should say goodbye to the herd." Buck nodded in agreement and followed her into the cave, where Rosalina and Celine were hugging Sid and Peaches, the last two they went over to say bye.

"We'll miss you so much." Rosalina said as she and Roxanne hugged Sid.

"Miss you." Celine said to Peaches as she and the baby mammoth hugged. Jenna smiled at the view, as did Buck.

"I wish you could stay a little longer." Ellie said to the weasels once they were done saying their goodbyes and they were now standing near the exit. Buck wrapped an arm around Jenna's shoulders; Jenna rested her head on his shoulder.

"Me, too, but there's a lot places I need ta show ta Jen back in our paradise, and I need to teach her self-defense." Jenna's cheeks were tinted a blood-red color when he said this, causing Buck to chuckle. With that, they left, leaving the herd to watch them walk away.

Buck's POV

As we walked, I couldn't help but look at Rosalina, who seemed to still be mad at me. She had her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. I couldn't blame her. I guess I should apologize ta her as well.

"Rosy." I called. She didn't turn her head, but she replied, "What?"

"I'm sorry fo' pranking your fatha'. I promised Jen that I wouldn't do that again."

"Thank you. Apology accepted." Rosalina turned her head. I was happy to see her smiling a bit. I guess she felt the same way. She hugged me, giving me a little squeeze in the middle of it. I saw Jenna and Roxanne smile at us as we hugged. I smiled back.

Once we pulled away, I wrapped an arm around Jenna's shoulders. She gave me a small smile, but it was not one of her truly happy smiles. It was one of her upset, depressed smiles.

Worried, I asked, "Jen, are you all right?" Jenna sighed sadly before averting her gaze. "Jen, love, please tell me wot's wrong." I begged almost desperately.

I watched as Jenna picked up Celine and began to rock her back and forth slowly. Then, she sighed again. Finally, she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Fo' wot?" I asked, obviously confused. She looked down to see Celine's worried face.

Jenna sighed in defeat and answered, "I betrayed you. Ben was forcing himself on to me, and I didn't have enough strength to stop him. He was kissing me forcefully and I was hardly strong enough to push him away."

I rubbed her shoulders comfortingly, staring at her sympathetically as I did. "Lass, don't apologize. It wasn't your fault. You didn't know he was going ta' do that ta' you."

"I know, but I still feel awful." Jenna then received a hug from Celine, only cheering her up just a little. "Thank you, sweetheart. I needed that." The little kit giggled and started nuzzling Jenna.

_She's such a sweet girl. _I thought when I saw this. I quickly got back to the topic after a brief silence. "Don't feel that way, lass. If he lays a claw on you again, I'll go to extreme measures." I promised. I was happy to see Jenna smile brightly at me. Well, at least she's feeling a little better.

"Don't you always go to the extreme?" Jenna quizzed teasingly, causing me to chuckle. I felt so much better that Jenna was feeling better after that incident. And I'm pretty sure Jenna is, too.

I smiled softly with a blush when Jenna kissed me on the cheek. "Aw!" I heard Celine sigh, her forest green eyes shimmering with happiness.

"Thank you for cheering me up, Buck." Jenna thanked me gratefully. I squeezed her shoulders affectionately.

As soon as we got to the hole that took us back to Dinotopia, which is what Rosalina calls our paradise, Jenna looked down at her necklace and whispered, "Even though I couldn't take all my memories of you, mom and dad, I'll always have this necklace to remember you by. I hope you are happy for whom I am and happy that I found somebody who cares so much about me just by looking in his eye. I will always love you mom and dad. May you watch over us, day and night."

I kissed her head once she finished and complimented, "That was beautiful."

"Thanks." She replied with her usual shy blush. "Mommy." We looked down to see Celine nuzzling Jenna again before repeating, "Mommy."

Jenna smiled down at her then to me. "Do you want to take her in?" She asked me, her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, please, Buck! We promise to help Jenna take care of her!" Rosalina and Roxanne begged desperately. Well, I always wanted a kid. Why not?

With an approving smile, I nodded. I watched as Jenna, Roxanne, and Rosalina hugged Celine gently. Eventually, I joined their hug and took Celine into my arms. We pulled away so that the little lass wouldn't suffocate. She must have noticed my eye patch because she reached up to touch it. When she pulled her paw away, I saw sympathy in her eyes.

I smiled reassuringly at her and said, "It doesn't hurt anymore, lass. I'll tell you the story about my patch when we get home." That's when I felt her arms wrap around my neck and her head rest against my chest. I turned to Roxanne, Jenna, and Rosalina and said, "Let's go home."

They both smiled at me then walked beside either side of me. I turned my head to see Jenna stand still. She was looking at the sky before she said, "I love you mom and dad." I nodded as she looked back at me and nodded, signaling me that she was ready to leave now.

I could tell it was going to be hard for Jenna, but I knew that she would be all right. Once she gets around in our paradise, she'll feel happy and free. We crawled into the hole and returned to paradise and Jenna's new home.

End of POV


	36. Chapter 36

Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 36

At last, they were home. Buck took in the scent of the tropical paradise before turning around to face the she-weasels. "Well, Jenna, Celine, welcome to our world." He watched as Jenna took in the amazing view, along with Celine.

"Wow!" Celine exclaimed quietly.

Buck chuckled a bit. "That's right, little one. Wow!"

Rosalina smiled, "It's good to be home…again."

"I agree with you on that one, sis." Roxanne gave her sister a small hug.

Jenna called out for a longneck with leaves already in her paws. "Here, boy, here!" To her satisfaction, the dinosaur came to her direction and took the leaves away from her grasp.

"I see you already know how ta get a longneck's attention." Buck walked over to Jenna with Celine by his side. Jenna grinned, "I learned that just by watching Roxanne." Her grin grew when she saw Buck and Rosalina smile softly at her.

"Yeah. I can be a great teacher sometimes." Roxanne said. They were too busy looking around until they heard Celine scream, "Wee!"

They turn their heads to see Celine sliding down the longneck's back. "Oh, no! Celine! I'm coming, sweetie!" Jenna quickly slid down the dinosaur's back with Buck, Roxanne, and Rosalina sliding behind her. When they reached the ground, Jenna checked to see if the kit was hurt, which wasn't possible in any way.

"Gee, Jen, relax. She's all right." Buck reassured her as she continued to examine Celine. Jenna sighed in relief and helped Celine get back up.

"Please don't scare me like that." Celine giggled as she hugged Jenna in a comforting embrace. Rosalina eventually joined their hug. Buck and Roxanne watched them with a small grins plastered on their faces.

Once they pulled away, they started walking towards the direction their cave was. As they walked, Celine was looking around, staring in awe at everything she saw around her. Her green eyes were filled with excitement and happiness, obviously glad to be down here.

Buck noticed her wide smile and chuckled. "Enjoying the view so far, lass?" Celine turned her head to his direction and nodded, ending with a small laugh. Rosalina decided to start a conversation with Jenna. Sighing through her nose, she gently nudged Jenna's uninjured arm.

Jenna turned her head then flashed a bright smile at her, hiding her nervousness that appeared on her face previously. Unfortunately, Rosalina caught her anxious look and reassured her, "You're going to like it here, Jenna. As long as you stick with us, you'll be all right. We can show you and Celine around, if you would like that, or we can introduce you to Momma's kids, since I think you already met Momma Dino."

All the nervousness left Jenna after hearing Rosalina's kind offer. She shrugged a bit then replied, "Thanks for the offer, Rosalina. I guess I'm just a little scared and a tad homesick. I guess a grand tour of the place will take my mind off my homesickness."

"Great! I'll tell Buck and we'll be on our way." With that, Rosalina went over to Buck to tell him what Jenna wanted to do.

Jenna looked up at the ice ceiling above them and sighed through her nose. "Well, this is your new life, Jenna. Everyday will be filled with adventure, danger, and death. As long as I stay with Buck and Rosalina, I'll be safe." She murmured to herself. Then, a random thought came to her mind. It was about the day that Buck told her he loved her.

_Did he really mean it? I mean, he just blurted it out. How will I know if he meant it or not?_ She slowly turned her head to see Buck and Rosalina still talking. Suddenly, she heard a soft chuckle that happened to come from Celine. She looked down. And sure enough, the kit was walking next to her.

A smile ghostly appeared onto Jenna's face when she saw her. She lifted her off her feet and cradled her. "Celine, once you find your true first love, you'll feel like the happiest weasel in the world. Love is the greatest feeling in the world to me. A couple of days before Rosalina and I found you, Buck told me that he loved me. I don't know if he meant it, but he sounded so sincere when he told me how special I was to him. When I told him I love him, too, I really meant it. Now, I'm wondering he really does love me and if he meant it when he first told me that."

She looked down at Celine, who was surprisingly listening to her. Jenna sighed softly with a small smile then whispered, "Thanks for listening, Celine. Even though you don't know how it feels to be in love yet, you will eventually know. It is a wonderful feeling, I guarantee."

"Momma." Celine called Jenna before wrapping her arms around her neck, giving her a hug. The she-weasel was touched. She thinks she's her mother when, in reality, her real mother died in a saber attack. Jenna went from touched to depressed at the thought.

Gosh, if only she really knew who her real mother and father were before they died, she wouldn't be feeling like this. Celine noticed her saddened face and frowned. Noticing this, Jenna quickly put on a fake smile so that she wouldn't worry about her. "I'm fine Celine. I was just in my train of thought is all." She lied.

Celine was too smart to believe that. So, she gave her 'the look'. Sighing in defeat, Jenna said, "I can't lie to you, sweetie. When you're old enough to understand, I'll tell you why I felt a little down for a second." The kit nodded in assent before resting her head against Jenna's chest, letting her eyes close slowly once she got settled.

Jenna kissed her forehead affectionately then gently stroked her cheek with her thumb. "Celine go' tired?" Buck asked. Jenna jumped slightly with a startled squeak. The one-eyed weasel started laughing at the she-weasel's reaction.

"You gave me a heart attack!" She whispered harshly. She gently slapped his arm with a playful glare. Rosalina and Roxanne happened to see what happened and were laughing at the startled she-weasel.

"Sorry, Jen." Buck apologized. Jenna sighed softly before taking his free paw in hers. Concerned, Buck raised an eyebrow at her. Noticing this, Jenna asked, "May I please talk to you privately after the tour?"

"Sure, Jen. Wait, why?"

"You'll find out soon enough." After that reply, Jenna stayed silent. "Right then. This way, everyone." Buck guided the she-weasels towards the Chasm of Death's direction. Jenna didn't say a word throughout the tour.

However, she paid attention to everything Buck told her about every place they stopped, every dinosaur and healing plant they saw, and much more. The tour lasted for hours until they finally went home, exhausted.

The place Jenna was really interested about was the 'Cave of Your Worst Nightmare'. When she heard that the place showed silhouettes that were similar to the victims in somebody's nightmare and did the same things that happened in it, she shuddered in fright. Celine, on the other hand, was interested in every place and thing she saw. Now, they were home, which was the right time for Jenna to talk to Buck.

Jenna set Celine down so she could walk over to Rosalina. The kit caught the teenager's finger and held on to it. Rosalina smiled softly at her as she started nuzzling her. "It's good to be home." She plopped down on the moss-covered couch that was located on the left side of the cave, as did Celine and Roxanne.

"We're glad you two ares home. Please don't run away from us again." Buck sat down in between Rosalina and Roxanne and pulled her into a hug. The twins happily returned it. Rosalina buried her face into his chest, enjoying the warmth his fur held. She then felt Buck run his fingers through her black hair. Rosalina missed him so much; she also missed his fingers running through her hair when he hugged her.

"We won't. Oh! And by the way, I'm glad that we now have two new members of the family." Rosalina pulled away from their hug to give Celine and Jenna a friendly smile, which they returned. Celine giggled softly until Jenna cleared her throat. Everyone looked at her.

Jenna's ears flattened against her head and sighed. "Well, I'm glad to be here with you two; I'm pretty sure Celine is too. I can't believe I'm living here now! I'll try to keep out of your way." Buck got up from the couch and walked over to Jenna.

He held both her paws in a gentle grip. He chuckled, "Your no' going ta' be in our way, lass." Jenna then gave him a stare that said, 'I really need to talk to you now'.

Rosalina grinned at them for a moment before holding Celine and getting up from the couch. "Okay, while you two chat or kiss it up, I'm going to show Celine my room. Let's go, little one." In a flash, Rosalina sped-walked out of the room with Celine and Roxanne, leaving the couple to talk.

Jenna watched them leave before she sighed again, but this time, it was a depressed one. "Buck, sit down." Confused, he did what he was told and sat down on the moss-covered couch, as did the troubled she-weasel.

"Do you remember the day you said you loved me?" Jenna quizzed hesitantly. Buck nodded. "D-did you mean it? I-I mean, I've never been in love before, and I'm scared you're going to leave me because I wasn't good enough for you. Well, I wouldn't blame you one bit. I mean, look at me! I'm a defenseless, anxious, sensitive weasel." She hid her face behind her paws and let out a stressed sigh. "I'm confused."

Buck wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him. He lifted her chin, getting her to look at him. "Hey, I know this is your first time being in love. When I first met that gorgeous pineapple, I was a tad nervous, but I knew that we were meant for each other. At least, that's wot I thought. Until that night befo' we met you, she died. I think I remember telling you that. Anyway, I felt so heartbroken and I thought I was never going to love again until I saw you." He paused to look at her.

Jenna's cheeks were apple red, but she still had a skeptical frown that stayed on her face. She averted her gaze. Buck laid his paw on top of hers then continued. "You're amazing. I wish you knew that. You've really changed my life. Remember when I told you about my pineapple wife? Remember how you reacted? You didn't laugh or anything. You just stared at me with that sympathetic look of yours. When you said that I wasn't the only one who talked to non-living things, I felt so… relieved. I'm happy that I have someone who understood why I did that. Also, I remember that battle with Rudy. I was almost mince meat until you pushed me out of the way and fell unconscious.

"Wot you did that day was amazing. I'm still grateful fo wot you've done. Okay, back to the topic. Don't be afraid. I would neva' leave you. You're family now. We don't leave family behind. You don't have ta fret about your disadvantages. It's all right ta be anxious and sensitive. There's no need ta feel bad about that. It's actually a good thing. You care about people, you get worried about them, and you would go to the extremes ta take care of the people you love. That's one of the reasons why I love you. Oh! And if this makes you feel any better, I did mean it." Buck pulled Jenna into a long hug.

Jenna hugged back, removing her paws from her face so that she could wrap her arms around the male. She sobbed quietly into Buck's shoulder. Buck held her closer and gave her a peck on the head. "I love you." Jenna squeezed him gently in response.

Meanwhile, in Rosalina's room, Celine was taking her sweet time looking around in curiosity and excitement. Rosalina watched the kit with a small smile as she started pointing at Roxanne's leaf bed. "That's Roxanne's bed." Rosalina turned her head towards her sister then continued, "Maybe, Roxanne will let you sleep next to her."

Roxanne wasn't paying any attention to what her sister was saying, but she heard the last part and smiled. "Of course we can share my bed, Celine. I'll be glad to." Celine smiled happily at her as she hugged the hazel-eyed teen.

The twins watched Celine crawl under the covers. Roxanne started chuckling a little as Celine tried to shake the covers off her. "Here. Let me help." Rosalina lifted the leaf cover so Celine could crawl out. Suddenly, Celine started to yawn.

Rosalina and Roxanne smiled a little before cradling her in her arms. "Do you want us to sing you a lullaby?" Roxanne asked the tired kit. Celine nodded absentmindedly. Rosalina held Celine close then started to sing.

_Rosalina: Flower, gleam and glow. _

_Let your power shine._

_Make the clock reverse._

_Bring back what once was mine._

_Roxanne: Heal what has been hurt._

_Change the fate's design._

_Save what has been lost._

_Bring back what once was mine._

_Both: What once was mine. _

Rosalina smiled in satisfaction as Celine fell asleep in her arms with a smile on her face. She gently laid her down on Roxanne's bed then covered her up. Then, Roxanne stroked her cheek with the back of her paw and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, Celine. Welcome home."

Jenna pulled away from Buck's embrace. Her baby blue eyes shimmered like crystals as she looked into Buck's eye. "Want to know a secret?" Jenna randomly asked. Buck raised his eyebrow. "My real name is Jennifer, but I like to be called Jenna. Just thought you should know."

Buck smiled. _Jennifer, huh? That's a beautiful name._ He thought before a smirk ghostly appeared on his face. He said, "You know, I think I like Jennifer better."

Jenna blushed with a smile. There was short silence until Buck asked, "Does this mean I can start calling you Jennifer?" Jenna hesitated for a moment. _Aw, why not?_ Laughing, she replied, "Sure."

A smirk plastered on Jenna's face when she asked, "Well, since I live here with you now, is it all right if I call you Buckminster." Buck stifled a chuckle and answered with a playful threat, "Do that and you'll wish you hadn't."

Jenna crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?" She smirked with a soft giggle. Buck pinned her down against the couch and started tickling her. Jenna screamed in surprise then laughed and squirmed under his grasp. "Buck! Stop! I'm extremely ticklish!"

"Are you?"

"Yes!" She squealed before laughing again. Buck couldn't help but chuckle at the sounds of Jenna's screaming and laughing. All the fun ended when Rosalina and Roxanne poked their heads out from their room and shushed them.

"Celine is asleep! Don't wake her up!" Rosalina whispered harshly. Buck nodded and stopped tickling Jenna. The she-weasel panted as she tried to catch her breath. Her chest rose and fell and her heart pounded rapidly against her chest.

Buck looked down at his victim with a smirk. Jenna lifted her head to give him a look that said, 'I will get you'. Buck's eye shimmered in amusement and pleasure.

Rosalina walked into the room slowly. "So, should I leave you two alone or is it all right if I hang out with you two?"

"Sure. I need help getting my revenge on Buck." Jenna smiled a playful, evil smile as she sat back up. Rosalina walked towards the couch and sat down next to Jenna.

"I'm going to pass. I'm going to watch over Celine." Roxanne said as she headed back into their room.

"Help me tickle Buck. He tickled me. So, now, I'm going to do the same, but with your help." Jenna whispered into Rosalina's ear.

The teenager giggled softly. "I know where Buck's weak spots are."

"Great! Okay, are you ready?"

"Yep." Rosalina nodded.

Without any hesitation, Jenna pinned Buck against the couch like he did to her and started tickling him, along with Rosalina. Rosalina tickled Buck's underarms and his left side while Jenna tickled his stomach and right side.

"Rosy, Jennifer, please stop!" Buck gasped through laughs. Rosalina asked Jenna, "You're real name is Jennifer?" She nodded. "I like that name better."

"That's what Buck said. Oh! And, thank you." Jenna said truthfully. The trio was having fun; they forgot that Celine was sleeping until they heard clicking sounds. Rosalina and Jenna stopped tickling the male and turned their heads to see the kit walking out of Rosalina's room.

Celine ran towards them, smiling wildly as she ran. "Daddy, Rosy, mommy!" She hopped on Buck's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "Ugh! Celine, dear, please get off." Buck panted, trying to bring more air into his lungs.

"Sorry, daddy."

"Aw! She's learning how to talk." Rosalina and Jenna sighed at the same time. Buck sat up with Celine in his arms, grunting as he struggled to get in a sitting position. Celine nuzzled Buck with an apologetic smile. He caught it and reassured her, "It's all right, lass. You didn't mean ta."

Celine sighed in relief then gently patted his stomach, making Buck smile warmly at her. Jenna wrapped her arms around the two, pulling them into an unexpected hug. They happily hugged her back. Rosalina stared for a second, shrugged, and then joined the family embrace. From the twins' room, Roxanne watched them hug with a smile then went to bed.

After a few minutes went by, they pulled away and said their goodnights. "Goodnight, Jenna." Rosalina whispered with Celine in her arms. Before they left their view, Celine quickly added, "Goodnight, daddy."

Jenna grinned, "Did you hear what Celine called you?"

"I know. She really is a sweetheart. Just like you and Rosy." Buck grinned back. Jenna sighed softly then breathed with a blush, "Well, I guess we should hit the sack. Buck, before I go to bed, I just wanted to say that I meant it when I told you that I loved you."

Buck smiled and wrapped his arms around her with Jenna doing the same to him. "I really do love you, Buck." Jenna stared into his single eye. She then felt her eyes fill up with tears, but she blinked them away. "I love you, too, Jennifer. I am going ta start calling you Jennifer."

"I don't see any harm in that at all. Besides, I do love it when you call me Jennifer now." She said shyly. Her cheeks began to redden as Buck's face got closer to hers.

"I love your name, Jennifer." Jenna blushed harder and smiled when Buck caressed her cheeks. Finally, Buck closed the space between them and kissed Jenna passionately and lovingly.

_So, this is what it feels like to kiss the guy you loved. Well, it feels so wonderful. I don't think I'll ever get tired of the feeling._ Jenna thought as they kissed.

Meanwhile, after crawling through the hole and walking through the cave, Ben reached Dinotopia. He jumped off a ledge and swung on a vine that dangled near him. He landed perfectly on all fours then ran through the jungle, searching for some shelter for the night. When he found a strong-looking tree, he shrugged. "This will have to do. I guess."

He climbed into the tree and looked around him. "This looks like it will do for now." Ben laid down on the cold, wooden floor. Then, before closing his hazel eyes, he growled, "I will get my revenge, Buck. Soon, Jenna will be mine. You'll wish that you never pranked me or treated me like crap."

Book 3: Breaking the Ice Sneak Peek

"What makes you think that Jason would have any interest in you, hermit?" MaryAnn questioned, placing her paws on her hips.

"Well, for one thing, I don't force my friends to be mean to someone they actually like. That's what Jason told me." Rosalina growled.

Rosalina turned her head to make sure that Chloe, Jason, Rico, and Leah were still sleeping. To her relief, they still were. MaryAnn rolled her dark brown eyes and threatened, "If you so happen to make a move on Jason, I will kill you in your sleep."

"Whatever. I'm not listening to you, skank." Rosalina smirked at MaryAnn's shocked face as she walked away.


End file.
